Maritime strikes in Gulf waters

On 6 September 2026, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a strike on a United States military unmanned surface vehicle in the Strait of Hormuz. The incident brought the total number of US-linked vessels targeted by Iranian forces to seven within a 24-hour window. Iranian state media previously reported strikes against three oil tankers traveling on routes not authorized by Tehran, alongside three other vessels connected to the United States. The Iranian military stated that its forces acted after identifying the drone boat attempting to penetrate Iranian-controlled waters.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued a statement regarding the operation against the naval drone.

“The heroic naval forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps attacked an unmanned surface vehicle belonging to the US military that was attempting to enter the protected zone of the Strait of Hormuz.”

Tanker destructions and carrier engagements

The naval confrontations followed United States military strikes conducted on the morning of 5 September 2026 against three Iranian oil tankers. United States Central Command stated that its forces permanently disabled the IRGC-affiliated tanker M/T Downy off Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf and the M/T Stark 1 near Jask in the Gulf of Oman. American forces also destroyed the unladen tanker M/T Kylo, also known as Noxen, after ordering its crew to evacuate. Central Command reported that the vessel subsequently sank in the Gulf of Oman, describing the three ships as elements of a multi-billion-dollar clandestine funding network for the IRGC. In retaliation, the IRGC Aerospace Force fired ballistic missiles at a US aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer, though Central Command stated both warships evaded the strikes without US personnel injuries.

Regional context and earlier bombardments

Tensions in Gulf waters escalated following heavy US air bombardments earlier in the week, which Iranian authorities stated killed at least 19 people, including four attendees at a wedding. Those airstrikes represented the heaviest US bombardment against Iran in over a month. Tehran responded to those strikes by launching bombardments against sites in Kuwait, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, which Iranian officials identified as hosting US military installations. Iran has enforced a blockade across the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the conflict on 28 February 2026, halting nearly all commercial crude shipments through the waterway unless operators obtain formal permission from Tehran. In response, the United States imposed a naval cordon around Iranian ports and commercial vessels while re-establishing partial traffic along a southern corridor near Oman.

Official warnings and diplomatic friction

The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the American strikes on Iranian merchant vessels in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, characterizing the operations as war crimes and breaches of the United Nations Charter. Iranian state broadcaster IRIB reported that Islamic Republic naval commanders ordered all vessels in the Persian Gulf to refrain from suspicious movements along non-approved routes. Khatam al-Anbiya, the central operational headquarters of the Iranian armed forces, issued a public warning that continued American military action would trigger broader and more forceful strikes against US warships across the region. The maritime clashes coincide with a diplomatic deadlock in negotiations to halt the Middle East conflict, as Washington seeks to increase economic pressure on Tehran.