Things are really heating up again in Iran after an attack against two ships in the Strait of Hormuz yesterday.
Two oil tankers were attacked within minutes of each other while passing through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, a reflection of the continued risk for ships seeking to export oil from the Persian Gulf.
One ship, a crude oil tanker owned by Saudi Arabia’s national oil company, was struck by “unknown projectiles” about 16 nautical miles off the coast of Oman, according to Marisks, a maritime risk firm. A second ship, a Liberian-flagged supertanker operated by the South Korean company Sinokor, was reportedly struck by “three unknown projectiles” off the coast of Oman.
There were no casualties in either attack but President Trump responded today with a fresh round of attacks on IRGC positions inside Iran.
Today at 12 p.m. ET, U.S. forces began striking Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targets in Iran. The strikes follow recent attempted attacks by the IRGC against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and against American service members deployed to the region.
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) September 1, 2026
Information is still coming in but I see some reports that we hit 50-100 sites in today's attack.
CENTCOM says US forces have completed a wave of strikes against Iranian targets tonight, hitting air defense sites, radar systems, maritime assets and facilities, mine laying capabilities, and communications sites.
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) September 1, 2026
Newly released strike footage: pic.twitter.com/hjiSaGhQXy
This account offers a pretty detailed take on what is happening this week. The big picture is that the U.S. is having some success opening the Strait and Iran is doing what it can to stop it.
A New Round of Escalation in the #Iran War?
— Hamidreza Azizi (@HamidRezaAz) August 30, 2026
🔹U.S. strike on Iran’s Larak Island tonight should be understood in the context of a new contest over control of the Strait of Hormuz.
🔹Over the past two weeks, there have been growing indications that the U.S. has managed to…
🔹 Over the past two weeks, there have been growing indications that the U.S. has managed to restore some maritime traffic through the strait, particularly along a southern route close to Oman and around the Musandam Peninsula. Washington says it has cleared Iranian mines, while Iranian sources say the U.S. has also been using smaller tankers, ship-to-ship transfers, and nighttime movements to reduce exposure to Iranian surveillance and strikes.
🔹The same sources acknowledge that earlier U.S. attacks damaged some Iranian radars, monitoring towers, and surveillance equipment, making detection more difficult at night and creating openings that vessels have been trying to exploit.
🔹Iran, meanwhile, appears determined to prevent this limited opening from becoming a new reality. Iranian sources say the IRGC has been trying to extend its surveillance and strike coverage toward the southern route and prevent vessels from transiting without Iranian permission. They also suggest that Tehran has been preparing additional measures to close the remaining gaps, including renewed mining and attacks on vessels using the route.
🔹This may help explain the Larak attack. According to some reports, the targets were launchers preparing to fire rockets carrying sea mines toward the strait. Iranian sources also claim the IRGC had attacked several vessels shortly before the U.S. strike.
🔹The broader picture is therefore becoming clearer. Washington appears to believe it has regained the initiative by creating and protecting a limited shipping corridor. Tehran is trying to prevent that arrangement from consolidating.
That seems to match up with some of what Trump told Fox News. Trump also warned Iran not to strike back, warning that the next strike by the US would be devastating.
President Trump told Fox News a lot of Iranian radar was hit tonight.
— Trey Yingst (@TreyYingst) September 1, 2026
"They tried to rebuild their radar because they can't see anything," President Trump said. "We waited until it was almost built and then we hit it."
The President said if Iran responds, "They'll be hit much… pic.twitter.com/NGfYulLhpC
Iran did strike back. They claimed an attack on a U.S. base in Jordan had killed a number of U.S. Marines. None of this has been confirmed and Iran does lie a lot so take this with a grain of salt for now.
The IRGC has claimed that it killed “a large number of US forces”, while destroying “several installations and enemy attack helicopters” in a ballistic attack on US Marines’ barracks at Camp Titin, a military site near Aqaba, Jordan.
In a statement, carried by Iranian broadcaster IRIB, the IRGC said its retaliation would continue.
So far no comment about any casualties from the U.S. There are quite a few Marines stationed at the base in question (exact numbers aren't reported for obvious reasons). If these reports are true, the attacks on Iran are going to escalate to a new level very soon. But again, Iran's media can't be trusted.
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