Iran says it attacked a US military drone attempting to enter the Strait of Hormuz, hours after its forces targeted three oil tankers in retaliation for American strikes on Iranian-linked vessels.
The latest escalation came as the six-month US-Iran conflict showed no sign of easing, with Tehran maintaining its grip on the strategic waterway while Washington continues efforts to blockade Iranian ports and squeeze the country’s economy through sanctions.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Sunday that its naval forces attacked an American unmanned surface vessel attempting to enter the strait, according to Iranian state television.
The Guards also claimed to have targeted three oil tankers using an “unauthorised route” through the Strait of Hormuz, as well as three vessels it described as being affiliated with the United States in other areas.
Iran warned ships against attempting to transit the waterway through routes it has not approved.
The claims followed US strikes on three Iranian-linked oil tankers on Saturday.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the vessels were connected to an Iranian “shadow network” that helps finance the IRGC and its regional proxies.
According to CENTCOM, US forces disabled two crude-oil carriers — M/T Downy near Kharg Island and M/T Stark 1 near Jask — and destroyed a third, the M/T Kylo, in the Gulf of Oman after its crew was ordered to abandon ship.
CENTCOM also said Iranian forces had unsuccessfully targeted two American warships. Iran, however, claimed the vessels were damaged and forced to retreat.
CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper rejected that account, saying the US ships successfully evaded the attacks.
“If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost,” Cooper said, describing the US strikes as a direct response to Iran’s actions.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned the attacks as “illegal and aggressive”, while its central military command warned that reprisals against US warships would become more severe if Washington continued its strikes.
Hormuz at the centre of conflict
The Strait of Hormuz has emerged as the central flashpoint in the conflict, with roughly one-fifth of global oil supplies having previously passed through the waterway.
Washington has sought to regain control of shipping through the strait and increase economic pressure on Tehran, while Iran has maintained its restrictions on commercial traffic.
A fragile ceasefire collapsed in July following attacks on commercial vessels in the strategic waterway.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to claim sovereignty over the strait, at one point posting a map depicting it as “new US territory”.
Vice President JD Vance has said Washington will not resume negotiations with Tehran until Iran stops attacks on commercial shipping in Hormuz.
The conflict has become increasingly contentious in the United States as midterm elections approach, with Vance saying he would not describe it as a war and Trump dismissing its significance as “small potatoes”.
Iran’s Security Chief Mohsen Rezaei, meanwhile, has warned that Tehran has adopted a new strategy against Washington that would “shatter your foundations”.
