Iran-US war escalates with tanker attacks, Jordan base strikes, and Trump warnings
Quick Look
Tensions between Iran and the US intensified as both sides exchanged strikes on oil tankers and military sites, including damage to US aircraft at Jordan's Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, while Trump warned of hitting Iran's Pickaxe Mountain and claimed the war would end after the November midterms; the UN nuclear watchdog reported Iran to the Security Council for the first time in 20 years over undeclared uranium traces, and Brent crude surpassed $100 a barrel amid energy market fears.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The conflict between Iran and the US began in February 2026, marked by reciprocal military actions including strikes on oil tankers and military installations. Tensions have been fueled by US sanctions on Iran's economy, Iranian backing of Houthi rebels in Yemen, and disputes over Iran's nuclear program. Recent developments include attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, strikes on Jordanian air bases hosting US forces, and Trump's public warnings about targeting Iranian nuclear-related sites.
Iranian rhetoric comes as US sanctions punish its ailing economy
A Tehran lawmaker has warned they were "practically on the brink of World War III" as tensions rise with the US, according to reports.
Kamran Ghazanfari, a Tehran representative in the parliament, warned that the expansion of war with Russia and Ukraine, as well as increased tensions between world powers, was grounds for the formation of a widespread conflict, according to Iran International.
It comes as Brent crude prices surged past $100 a barrel on Wednesday as escalating conflict in the Middle East have fuelled worries about energy-driven inflation ahead of several major central bank decisions.
The US military destroyed five Iranian oil tankers – four in the Gulf of Oman and one near Kharg Island – in retaliation for repeated missile strikes on a Navy warship.
Meanwhile, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels have attacked several cities in Saudi Arabia, wounding at least 73 people and knocking operations at energy facilities offline, the Saudi-led coalition said on Tuesday in a further sign of the conflict spreading as diplomacy stalls. The coalition vowed a firm response to the attacks.
Multiple US military aircraft suffered damage in overnight strikes on Jordan air base, CBS says
Multiple American military aircraft suffered damage in strikes overnight on the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, CBS reporter Jennifer Jacobs said on Wednesday on X.
One A-10 Thunderbolt, known as the Warthog, was struck and left with a missing wing, while roughly eight F-15s sustained light damage and were placed back into service, she added.
No deaths of US personnel have been reported in the strikes on Jordan.
The overnight damage came after the US attacked five Iranian tankers in retaliation for Iran targeting a US Navy warship.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps responded by launching attacks on eight tankers and two warships, including the base in Jordan.
US forces in Jordan launched more than 30 Patriot missiles defending against the Iranian strikes in Jordan, CBS News learned.
Shweta Sharma10 September 2026 04:04
Trump says activity seen at Iran's Pickaxe Mountain: 'Not to get cute'
President Donald Trump said on Wednesday the United States may hit Iran's Pickaxe Mountain, urging Tehran to be cautious.
"We notice there's a little activity at Pickaxe. I would advise Iran not to get cute because we will have to hit them very hard," Trump said in a speech at the midterm Republican convention.
Pickaxe Mountain, located near Iran's heavily damaged Natanz uranium enrichment facility, is a fortified site that hosts two deeply buried tunnel complexes.
Trump has been threatening strikes on Pickaxe Mountain since at least mid-July.
The rise in oil and gas prices due to the US-Israeli war on Iran, which began in February, has become a major issue for Trump and his Republican Party in the lead-up to the midterm US elections in November.
Shweta Sharma10 September 2026 03:53
UN nuclear watchdog reports Iran to UN Security Council
UN nuclear watchdog board reports Iran to the UN Security Council for the first time in 20 years
The U.N. atomic watchdog’s board reported Iran to the U.N. Security Council for the first time in 20 years for failure to cooperate in a long-running investigation into uranium traces detected by inspectors at various undeclared sites in Iran
Jane Dalton10 September 2026 03:00
IRGC threaten escalation of reprisals
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they would sharply escalate their response to any further attacks, and said Iran would soon release maps of a new, enlarged off-limits zone at sea that would extend as far as Chabahar on the coast near Pakistan.
Iran also said it fired on two US ships and eight tankers in response to the US action.
One seafarer was killed aboard the oil products tanker Hercules Star while at anchorage off Dubai, the vessel's charterer, Peninsula, said.
The British maritime security agency UKMTO described a vessel in the vicinity that was listing after being struck by a projectile.
Jane Dalton10 September 2026 02:00
Iran and US hit tankers in war's biggest wave of attacks on shipping
Iran says it has attacked 10 ships near the Strait of Hormuz after the US sank five Iranian oil tankers, in the biggest wave of attacks on shipping by both sides since the start of the six-month-old war.
At least one seafarer aboard a tanker was reported killed and another listed as missing.
The incidents follow a month of relative calm.
Iran said it had fired ballistic missiles at a US military base in Jordan. Jordan said it intercepted 18 missiles, with the remaining two falling harmlessly in unpopulated areas. A US official said all American troops were accounted for.
Jane Dalton10 September 2026 01:00
War will end straight after mid-terms, Trump claims
Donald Trump has predicted the war with Iran will end immediately after the US mid-term elections in November.
Tehran was trying to influence the vote but would not be able to hold out more in the face of US economic pressure, he claimed.
Jane Dalton9 September 2026 23:59
Five charts that lay bare economic disaster caused by Trump’s war in Iran
Five charts that lay bare economic disaster caused by Trump’s war in Iran
The conflict in Iran has sent the price of oil and gas soaring while inflation rises in Europe and GDP struggles to remain resilient in the UK
Bryony Gooch9 September 2026 23:00
Watch: Iran military video claims to show missiles and drones launched at US vessels
Bryony Gooch9 September 2026 22:00
Pictured: A woman walks near an anti-US mural in Tehran
Bryony Gooch9 September 2026 21:00
Iran war will end straight after mid-term elections, Trump claims
US president Donald Trump has predicted the war with Iran will end immediately after the US mid-term elections in November.
Tehran was trying to influence the vote but would not be able to hold out more in the face of US economic pressure, he claimed.
"I think war is going to end immediately after the election because they can't hold out any longer. They're desperate to try and affect the election," he said.
Oil prices would also come down right after the election, Trump said, once the war is over, while acknowledging diplomatic talks were still a possibility but not preferred.
"Yes, a negotiation could possible happen, but it's not something we're looking at," he said.
Jane Dalton9 September 2026 20:35
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The US will conduct military strikes on Iran's Pickaxe Mountain facility
Likely · Within weeks
Iran will further expand its maritime exclusion zone to include waters near Chabahar
Likely · Within days
Brent crude prices will remain above $90 a barrel in the near term
Very likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- What is the full extent of damage to US aircraft at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base?
- Will the UN Security Council take concrete actions following the IAEA's referral of Iran?
- How will the conflict affect global oil supplies and prices in the coming weeks?
- Is there any behind-the-scenes diplomacy underway to de-escalate the situation?
