The US launched attacks on two Iranian oil tankers in waters near Kharg Island, while Tehran announced it would retaliate by attacking oil tankers near the ports of Bahrain and Kuwait.
Foreign news agencies reported, citing disclosures from two US officials, that the US military attacked two Iranian oil tankers anchored near Kharg Island, a strategic point in the Strait of Hormuz, on Tuesday, 8 Sep 2026 GMT+7.
One official stated that the US military targeted Iranian oil tankers linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in response to Iran's attempted missile strike against a US Navy warship.
The attack occurred as the US shifts its war strategy, focusing on striking or destroying targets around the Strait of Hormuz, while conducting convoy protection operations for merchant vessels passing through this critical waterway, and maintaining a naval blockade of Iranian ports to increase economic pressure.
Iran’s national TV station IRIB cited an IRGC statement declaring they would retaliate by targeting oil tankers near ports in Bahrain and Kuwait.
“We warn all crews on oil tankers near the ports of Kuwait and Bahrain, which provide refuge to these (American) terrorists and act as allies in hostile actions, to immediately abandon their ships, whether anchored or docked at port, as these vessels will be targeted in attacks,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, Iran’s semi-official news agency Tasnim reported that one of the Iranian oil tankers attacked on Tuesday was only 4 miles from Kharg Island, a key center for Iran’s oil exports. IRIB said the second tanker was attacked off the coast of Jask city, and crews from both ships are being rescued safely ashore.
This latest attack follows a recent US strike on an Iranian oil tanker about 6 miles from Kharg Island during the past weekend.
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Source:cnn