U.S. destroys five Iranian tankers as Iran retaliates with missile strikes
U.S. strikes five Iranian tankers; Iran retaliates with missiles on Jordan and naval attacks.
Event / Conflict
Ongoing military conflict between the US and Iran beginning February 2026, involving destruction of Iranian tankers, missile strikes, and disruption of Strait of Hormuz shipping affecting global oil supply and prices.
2026-08-29 to 2026-11-06 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 29 Aug, 01:34 UTC
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The US government announced a campaign of economic asphyxiation against Iran through sanctions whose specific terms remain to be determined.
US President Donald Trump threatened that if Iran retaliates to the American airstrikes, it will be struck again much harder and more forcefully. He stated the US maintains quasi-total control of the Strait of Hormuz and claimed the Iranian economy is collapsing.
Iranian authorities called for reduced gasoline consumption in the country as Tehran faces import difficulties due to a US-imposed naval blockade.
Two oil tankers were hit by projectiles of unknown origin as they exited the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz, according to Greek maritime agency Marisks.
The Jordanian military announced it destroyed ten missiles fired from Iran, with three additional missiles crashing in unpopulated areas, resulting in no injuries.
Kuwait reported being targeted by Iranian missiles and drones. Air raid sirens sounded in Bahrain early Wednesday morning as Iranian attacks reached the country.
The US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln arrived in Thailand Wednesday morning after more than nine months at sea. Originally deployed to the South China Sea, it was redeployed to the Middle East at the beginning of the conflict in late February.
Iranian state media reported at least 11 deaths from US airstrikes: four killed during a wedding celebration in Hormozgan province in southeastern Iran where approximately 50 people were also wounded, and seven killed in Khuzestan province in western Iran where eight additional people were wounded.
Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian called for a return to diplomacy, which currently at an impasse. He stated that if the US respected a protocol agreement signed in June that quickly collapsed, Iran would immediately take reciprocal measures. These diplomatic overtures occurred just before the US airstrikes commenced.
Crude oil prices spiked following the military escalation, with US WTI crude surpassing $90 per barrel for the first time since late July. European natural gas prices reached their highest levels in over three years.
US strikes targeted multiple sites across southern Iran including near Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island near the Strait of Hormuz, Lavan Island which hosts an Iranian oil export terminal, and an airport in Kerman province in southern Iran.
Iran conducted a retaliatory operation using missiles and drones targeting US military bases and interests in the region. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard claimed responsibility for attacks on American military bases in Jordan, Iraq, and Bahrain.
The US conducted airstrikes on Sunday against military targets on an Iranian island, marking the first such strikes in one month. Iran retaliated by attacking US targets in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.
Iran seeks to collect passage fees in the Strait of Hormuz, where navigation was free before the onset of conflict.
Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesman for Iran's central military command, promised larger and more destructive retaliatory strikes if American attacks continued, and warned any country cooperating with US forces.
US Central Command (Centcom) announced airstrikes against targets of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including air defense sites, radar systems, and maritime installations. This represents the second wave of American strikes against Iran in several days.
The United Arab Emirates reported stopping an Iranian drone over its waters in response to ongoing military escalation between the U.S. and Iran.
Oil futures jumped above $94 per barrel on Tuesday following the announcement of new U.S. strikes against Iranian targets.
Iran responded to U.S. strikes by launching missiles at American military sites in Jordan. The missiles were intercepted by U.S. air defenses.
Iran's Armed Forces Central Headquarters said in response to U.S. strikes that Iran would deliver crushing and devastating blows against the American enemy and warned that the more the U.S. military persists in regional aggression, the greater losses it will endure.
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