US Central Command announced it had destroyed five Iranian crude oil tankers — the Kaviz, Charminar, Horizon 1, and Riesco in the Gulf of Oman, and the Derya near Kharg Island — after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps twice fired ballistic missiles at a US Navy warship [3][8][11]. Iranian media confirmed attacks on only two tankers, one about 6.4 kilometres from Kharg Island and another off Jask [11]. The IRGC said its naval forces retaliated by attacking two US vessels, eight oil tankers, and ten other ships in the Gulf, and launched missile strikes on the US base at Al Azraq in Jordan [1][2][17]. Jordan's armed forces said they intercepted 18 of 20 Iranian ballistic missiles, with the remaining two falling in unpopulated areas [2][4][5].
CENTCOM stated that the US warship evaded the Iranian missile attacks and that no American personnel were harmed, and that crews were directed to abandon ship before the tankers were struck [4][8][12]. The command described the five vessels as part of a multibillion-dollar shadow network financing the IRGC and its regional proxies [3][13][26]. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran would continue to lose tankers for every attempt to hit US naval ships [2][9]. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Iran's tanker fleet is defenseless and that US aircraft, ships, and submarines can target them all [16].
US officials described the strikes near Kharg and Jask as part of ongoing efforts to strangle Iran's economy rather than the beginning of a new phase [20]. The Trump administration imposed sanctions on 36 entities and individuals linked to Iran's aviation sector under Operation Economic Pariah, including 27 airlines and supporters of Mahan Air [7][10]. President Donald Trump declared a naval blockade against Iranian ports and imposed a 20% tariff on all goods transported through the Strait of Hormuz [30]. Vice President J.D. Vance has resisted describing the US-Iran fighting as a war [7].
The IRGC said its forces conducted a "complex intelligence and operational action at dawn" targeting the Al Azraq base, two US destroyers, and commercial vessels attempting to transit what it called a prohibited zone of the Strait of Hormuz [9][17]. The Guards also claimed to have captured an advanced US unmanned submarine at the entrance to the strait [6][9]; CENTCOM spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins said the vessel was a defective older model that neither collected sensitive data nor carried classified sonar or radar equipment [9]. The Guards warned all crews of oil tankers in Kuwaiti and Bahraini ports to abandon their vessels because they would be targeted, accusing those countries of harbouring terrorists [4][5][6][8][23]. Parliament speaker Mohamad Baqer Qalibaf threatened that US energy companies operating in the Middle East would be attacked if Washington bombs Iranian facilities, saying the oil and gas production chain is "extensa, accesible y está expuesta" (extensive, accessible, and exposed) [16]. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran will remain the "guardian" of the strait, vowing to charge what it deems fair for passage [30]. Top security official Mohsen Rezaei said Tehran plans to announce a restricted zone outside the strait and place any ship entering it on Iran's sanctions list [2].
Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the tanker strikes as a "war crime" and a violation of the UN Charter, describing them as part of a continuing US economic war [2][28]. Iran's UN ambassador Gholamhossein Darzi sent a formal letter to the Security Council condemning a US strike on a wedding in Hormozgan province that killed four civilians including a child, stating "هدف قرار دادن و کشتن غیرنظامیانی از جمله کودکان نقض فاحش قواعد اساسی حقوق بینالملل بشردوستانه است و مصداق جنایت جنگی است" (Targeting and killing civilians, including children, is a gross violation of the fundamental rules of international humanitarian law and constitutes a war crime), invoking Article 51 self-defense [25].
The International Maritime Organization Council condemned Iran's persistent threats and attacks against several Gulf states and their territorial waters [27]. IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez recommended that ships should not transit the strait "tant que les conditions de sécurité requises ne soient pas réunies" (until the required security conditions are met) [27]. The UAE Defense Ministry denounced the attacks as reckless and a serious violation of international law [30]. Two Filipino seafarers were killed in an Iranian attack on the Saudi-owned supertanker Sidr, confirmed by UKMTO [37]. An Indian sailor was also killed and eight others injured in Iranian cruise-missile attacks on two tankers [30]. The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed the need to halt attacks and respect international maritime safety [37].
Houthi forces launched missile and drone attacks on four Saudi cities — Abha, Jizan, Najran, and Khamis Mushait — wounding 73 people and knocking the Jizan refinery offline for a second time in under two months [9][21]. Saudi Arabia said it would retaliate, with the Saudi-led coalition vowing to "neutralizar el peligro en sus fuentes" (neutralize the danger at its sources) [21]. Analyst Andreas Krieg said the attacks present a dilemma for Mohammed bin Salman, warning that "la moderación ahora conlleva el riesgo de permitir que los hutíes dicten la espiral de escalada" (moderation now carries the risk of allowing the Houthis to dictate the escalation spiral) [21]. Crisis Group analyst Hamidreza Azizi described "una escalada gradual" (a gradual escalation) visible in Iran's repeated attempts to attack US warships and in the quantity and quality of missiles used against US bases [7].
Brent crude reached $99.49 a barrel following the exchanges [8]. Goldman Sachs forecast that if the strait disruption continues for another five weeks, Brent could break above $100, and up to $150 if the conflict expands [31]. JPMorgan analyzed that if the strait is closed for more than 25 days, major Middle Eastern producers will be forced to halt production, since onshore storage covers only about 22 days of output [31]. Chinese financial analysis showed Hormuz oil transit volume has fallen about 77% from 2025 Q4 levels [31], while shipping traffic through the strait fell to its lowest in four months according to Kpler data and UKMTO weekly reports [33]. War-risk insurance rates for Hormuz transits surged from pre-conflict levels of 0.15–0.25% to between 3% and 10% of hull value [36]. The Japanese government is considering new legislation to provide reinsurance support for oil tankers in high-risk waters [32]. South Korea and France discussed cooperation on security and freedom of navigation in the strait [9]. OPEC+ decided to keep oil output unchanged for October [35].
The IRGC stated that the Strait of Hormuz remains under its "fuerte y eficaz vigilancia y gestión" (strong and effective surveillance and management) [17]. The Pentagon expects the conflict to continue into next year [35]. The IMO maintains its recommendation that ships should not transit the strait until security conditions permit [27].