US strikes five Iranian oil tankers as Iran retaliates against US base in Jordan

Al Azraq, Jordan, September 9, 2026 — The United States destroyed five Iranian oil tankers after Iran targeted a US Navy warship with ballistic missiles, prompting Tehran to retaliate with a missile attack on a US military base in Jordan and strikes against vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

US Central Command said the five Iranian crude tankers were destroyed on Tuesday after Iranian Revolutionary Guard forces attempted to attack a US warship on two occasions. Four of the tankers were targeted in the Gulf of Oman, while another was struck near Kharg Island, a major Iranian oil-export terminal. The US military said crews were warned to abandon the vessels before the strikes.

The US said the vessels were connected to an Iranian network that helps finance the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The strikes represent the latest escalation in a conflict that has continued for more than six months, with military operations increasingly affecting commercial shipping and energy infrastructure.

Iran responded by firing ballistic missiles toward Al Azraq, where US forces are based in eastern Jordan. Jordanian authorities said their air defenses intercepted 18 of 20 missiles, while the remaining two fell in unpopulated areas. No casualties were reported in the attack.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also said it had attacked vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian statements said two US vessels and eight oil tankers were targeted, while the IRGC warned crews aboard ships in Kuwaiti and Bahraini ports that they could face further attacks.