Iran’s IRGC claims to have captured a US unmanned submersible and launched retaliatory ballistic missile strikes against US military targets, significantly escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz region.
IMAGE: An Iranian crude oil carrier identified as M/T Riesco sinks after being struck, which US Central Command says it targeted after attempted Iranian missile attacks on a US Navy warship over the past two days, at a location given as the Gulf of Oman, in this still image taken from video released on September 8, 2026. Photograph: US Central Command/Handout via Reuters
Key Points
Iran’s IRGC claims to have captured a US unmanned submersible near the Strait of Hormuz, calling it a “war trophy.”
The IRGC launched ballistic missile strikes against a US airbase in Jordan and two US Navy destroyers in retaliation for US attacks on Iranian oil tankers.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed destroying multiple Iranian crude oil carriers after IRGC missile attacks on US warships.
Iranian missile strikes activated air defences in Jordan and Syria, indicating a broader regional impact.
The IRGC issued an evacuation warning to tanker crews in neighbouring ports, threatening further action against Iranian-linked shipping.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed that it captured a United States unmanned submersible near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz and launched ballistic missile strikes against a US military airbase in Jordan and two American Navy destroyers in retaliation for recent US attacks on Iranian oil tankers.
According to Iran’s state broadcaster Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), the IRGC Navy said its forces ‘trapped one of the most modern, intelligent, unmanned submarines’ belonging to the US military at dawn during a complex intelligence and operational operation.
Escalating Tensions In The Gulf
The submersible, which Iran claimed was equipped with the latest underwater technology and delivered to the US fleet in 2025, was seized as a ‘war trophy’, according to state news agency IRNA.
Tehran said photographs of the captured vessel were expected to be released.
The development came as the IRGC launched an operation codenamed ‘Ya Haidar Karrar’, targeting the US-operated Al-Azraq airbase in Jordan with liquid- and solid-fuel ballistic missiles, according to an official statement carried by IRIB.
The IRGC claimed the strikes hit aircraft hangars and shelters housing F-35, F-16 and F-15 fighter jets.
It also said its forces targeted two US Navy destroyers, the DDG-119 and DDG-53, which it claimed were carrying cruise and Aegis missiles.
‘Significant damage’ was caused to the vessels, the IRGC said, adding that its military operations would continue until US attacks against Iranian shipping cease.
Retaliatory Strikes And US Response
The missile offensive was described by Tehran as retaliation for US strikes on Iranian oil tankers near Kharg Island and in waters off Jask County.
Earlier, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces had destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers on September 8 after the IRGC targeted a US Navy warship with ballistic missiles twice over a 48-hour period.
CENTCOM said the American warship successfully evaded both missile attacks and suffered no personnel injuries or operational damage, remaining on patrol in regional waters.
According to the US military command, four Iranian crude oil carriers — M/T Kaviz, M/T Charminar, M/T Horizon 1 and M/T Riesco — were destroyed in the Gulf of Oman, while a fifth, M/T Derya, was hit near Kharg Island.
CENTCOM said crews were ordered to abandon the vessels before the strikes.
The US said the vessels were part of a multibillion-dollar ‘shadow network’ that funds Iran’s security apparatus and regional proxies.
Regional Air Defences Activated
Tuesday’s operation was the second major US strike against Iranian maritime infrastructure within three days.
CENTCOM said its forces had destroyed three Iranian crude oil carriers on September 5 after the IRGC attempted to attack a US aircraft carrier and guided-missile destroyer.
Meanwhile, Iranian missile strikes triggered the activation of air defences across the region.
According to Al Jazeera, Jordanian air defence units intercepted at least eight Iranian missiles over Amman and other cities.
Syrian state television also reported that incoming Iranian missiles were intercepted near the border.
The IRGC Navy separately issued an evacuation warning to tanker crews in neighbouring ports, threatening to target Iranian-linked shipping near Bahraini and Kuwaiti ports if US attacks on Iranian vessels continued.
“In light of the atrocities of the American terrorist army in targeting several tankers of the Islamic Republic of Iran, we warn all tanker crews in the Kuwaiti and Bahraini ports … to immediately leave their vessels,” the IRGC Navy said, according to IRIB.
The latest exchange of strikes has further escalated tensions across the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waterways, with both sides claiming retaliatory military action against the other’s assets.