US destroys five Iranian oil tankers in retaliation for ballistic missile strikes on Navy warship
Quick Look
- The US military destroyed five Iranian oil tankers — four in the Gulf of Oman and one near Kharg Island — in retaliation for two ballistic missile strikes by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on a US Navy warship over the past two days.
- The warship evaded the attacks with no personnel harmed.
- The strikes mark a sharp escalation in hostilities between Washington and Tehran, occurring amid broader regional conflict involving Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and stalled diplomacy.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The US and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran on February 28, 2026, triggering a cycle of retaliation that has included Iranian ballistic missile strikes on US warships and US strikes on Iranian oil tankers. Diplomatic efforts to revive a ceasefire have stalled after negotiations broke down in June. The conflict has drawn in regional actors, with Iran-backed Houthis launching attacks on Saudi Arabia since declaring a naval blockade against Riyadh in July 2026.
The US military has destroyed five Iranian oil tankers in retaliation for strikes on a Navy warship.
American forces struck the ships — four in the Gulf of Oman and one near Kharg Island — Tuesday after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps “targeted a U.S. Navy warship with ballistic missiles twice over the past two days”, US Central Command said.
“The U.S. warship successfully evaded the attempted Iranian attacks and continued to patrol regional waters. No American personnel were harmed”, CENTCOM added.
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 Tuesday in a further sign of the conflict spreading as diplomacy stalls. The coalition vowed a firm response to the attacks.
Houthi spokesperson Yahya Sarea said that the Yemeni group would soon announce a broad military operation “deep” into Saudi Arabia.
The Houthis, who control the most populous parts of Yemen and much of the north, have been launching attacks towards Saudi Arabia since they declared a naval blockade against Riyadh in July, with strikes targeting its vessels in the Red Sea.
Iran war will continue for another six months, former US defence secretary says
The US war with Iran is likely to last another six months, according to former defence secretary Leon Panetta.
Six months after US-Israeli strikes against Iran, the war has reached a stalemate after a preliminary ceasefire plan unravelled.
Little progress has been made in diplomatic efforts to get the peace process back on track, after negotiations broke down in June.
Mr Panetta, who was defence secretary under President Barack Obama and has also served as director of the CIA, said in an interview that Donald Trump’s war in Iran risks becoming another “forever war in the Middle East”.
He told The Guardian: “It’s no mystery that the United States and Iran are caught in a terrible stalemate, in which there really are very few options available to bring this war to an end.”
Tom Barnes9 September 2026 04:20
US strikes Iranian tankers after Iran targets US warship
The US military has destroyed multiple Iranian oil tankers after Iran twice attempted to strike an American navy warship with ballistic missiles, marking a sharp escalation in hostilities between Washington and Tehran.
US Central Command said American forces struck the vessels in the Gulf of Oman and near Iran’s Kharg Island after directing their crews to abandon ship.
The strikes came after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targeted a US Navy warship with ballistic missiles on two occasions over the past two days.
“The US warship successfully evaded the attempted Iranian attacks and continued to patrol regional waters. No American personnel were harmed,” US Centcom said.
Maroosha Muzaffar9 September 2026 04:00
Iran War is costing Americans $100B in extra energy costs
The war in Iran is costing Americans $100 billion in extra energy costs — and that number is going up by $1 million every two minutes, according to an estimate from Brown University.
The Iran War Energy Cost Tracker from Brown’s Watson School of International and Public Affairs has tracked the price paid for gasoline and diesel since the U.S. and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran on February 28.
That added cost boils down to about $763 per household, based on an estimated 131 million households nationwide.
Tom Barnes9 September 2026 03:00
US destroys five Iranian oil tankers
The US military has announced that it destroyed five Iranian oil tankers — four in the Gulf of Oman and one near Kharg Island — in retaliation for strikes on a Navy warship.
American forces “destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers” on Tuesday “after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targeted a U.S. Navy warship with ballistic missiles twice over the past two days”, US Central Command wrote in a statement.
“The U.S. warship successfully evaded the attempted Iranian attacks and continued to patrol regional waters. No American personnel were harmed”, CENTCOM said.
Rachel Dobkin9 September 2026 02:01
Russia offers to mediate in Middle East crisis
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud in Moscow on Tuesday that Russia was ready to help resolve the situation in the Middle East.
Prince Faisal said Saudi Arabia was keen to deepen cooperation with Russia, including within the OPEC+ alliance, during talks between the two countries' top diplomats.
Tom Barnes9 September 2026 01:12
Trump latest: Anxious Republicans watch from the sidelines as Trump keeps tight grip on cash and spotlight
Channeling a western persona, President Donald Trump is heading to Dallas for this week's Republican convention to rescue his party's prospects ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.
The unprecedented gathering begins Wednesday, with Trump aiming to rally his base by transforming the Nov. 3 vote into a direct assessment of his own record. Although his name will not appear on the ballot, he created the event to help GOP candidates.
However, with his approval ratings at record lows, uncertainty remains about whether his presence will energize Republican voters or mobilize the opposition.
Here’s what to expect:
Republicans watch from the sidelines as Trump holds back campaign cash
President Donald Trump is embracing his inner cowboy, seeking to gallop into this week’s Republican convention in Dallas
Tom Barnes9 September 2026 00:03
Iran war will continue for another six months, former US defence secretary says
The US war with Iran is likely to last another six months, according to former defence secretary Leon Panetta.
Six months after US-Israeli strikes against Iran, the war has reached a stalemate after a preliminary ceasefire plan unravelled.
Little progress has been made in diplomatic efforts to get the peace process back on track, after negotiations broke down in June.
Mr Panetta, who was defence secretary under President Barack Obama and has also served as director of the CIA, said in an interview that Donald Trump’s war in Iran risks becoming another “forever war in the Middle East”.
He told The Guardian: “It’s no mystery that the United States and Iran are caught in a terrible stalemate, in which there really are very few options available to bring this war to an end.”
Read our full story below.
Iran war will continue for another six months, former US defence secretary says
The US and Iran are caught in ‘terrible stalemate’, former CIA chief says
Daniel Keane8 September 2026 21:00
Pictured: Smoke rises from an Saudi Aramco distribution centre after attack
Satellite images taken earlier show the impact of a Houthi attack on a Saudi Aramco distribution centre.
Daniel Keane8 September 2026 20:00
Deadly airstrike on Iran wedding was likely US bomb missing its target, says report
The US defence ministry is investigating the strong possibility that an deadly airstrike on a wedding in Iran was the result of a US bomb missing a nearby target, according to a report.
Iranian authorities say the strike on the wedding last Tuesday killed at least four and wounded at least 68, as part of a wave of attacks as Washington and Tehran exchanged the heaviest strikes since July.
A person familiar with the operation has now told The Washington Post that the Pentagon is investigating the strike.
Investigators are also looking at the possibility that the explosion occurred after an air defence missile fell out of the sky, but the source said this explanation was highly unlikely.
Read our full story below.
Deadly airstrike on Iran wedding was likely US bomb missing its target, says report
US investigators have indicated that the strike, which Tehran says killed four, was the result of a US bomb missing a nearby target, a Washington Post report says
Daniel Keane8 September 2026 19:00
Trump claims oil prices ‘will drop precipitously’
President Donald Trump has claimed that oil prices “will drop precipitously” once US forces succeed in Iran.
The US president is under growing pressure over rising energy prices and inflation at home ahead of midterm elections this November.
Brent crude hit a $99 high on Tuesday following Houthi attacks on energy facilities in Saudi Arabia.
“Oil prices will drop precipitously, like everything else is dropping (but more!), when we WIN the war with Iran,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“Three Dollars a gallon, but ultimately, below Two Dollars a gallon. It will all happen quickly, and Iran will never have a Nuclear Weapon.”
Daniel Keane8 September 2026 18:00
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The US-Iran conflict will continue for approximately another six months before any significant de-escalation or diplomatic breakthrough.
Likely · Within months
Oil prices will remain elevated in the short term due to geopolitical risk premium from Middle East conflict.
Likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- What is the long-term strategy of the US in Iran beyond military strikes?
- Will Iran retaliate further against US interests or allies in the region?
- Can Russia's mediation offer lead to a de-escalation, or is it unlikely to succeed given regional alignments?
- How will sustained energy price increases affect US inflation and consumer sentiment ahead of the midterm elections?
