Iran-US war latest: Tehran attacks ships in Strait of Hormuz after US strikes Iranian oil tankers

Close US strikes three Iranian oil tankers in response to attacks on warships On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The US and Iran have traded strikes on ships, the latest round of attacks since the conflict flared a week ago after a period of relative calm. US Central Command , which oversees the nation’s military in the Middle East, said it struck three Iranian oil tankers, including one off the coast of Kharg Island, near the nation’s oil export hub, after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched ballistic missiles at two US Navy ships. Admiral ⁠Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, said: “Let the message to the IRGC be clear: If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose ⁠an even higher economic cost — taking out three of yours.” The IRGC responded by threatening intensified strikes against US military vessels in the region, and later said it targeted three tankers that Tehran claimed were on unauthorised routes in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as as three US-linked vessels in other areas. The exchange of attacks followed an escalation in the past week that threatens to deepen a conflict that has continued since the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran in February. Recommended US aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln leaves Thailand after five-day port visit Iran claims strike on US ship in Strait of Hormuz as fighting escalates Trump gets testy and calls Iran war ‘small potatoes’ when pressed on length of fight US strikes three Iranian oil tankers in response to attacks on warships Key Points US and Iran trade strikes Watch: US strikes three Iranian oil tankers in response to attacks on warships Trump gets testy and calls Iran war ‘small potatoes’ when pressed on length of fight US carrier Abraham Lincoln departs Thailand after respite visit Trump faces Iran war nightmare as diesel hits record $5.85 and prices threaten to soar Fuel costs hit an unprecedented high in the U.S. on Friday, with diesel soaring to a record national average of $5.85 a gallon as an ongoing six-month war with Iran continues to disrupt global fuel flows. Read more below. Trump faces Iran war nightmare as diesel hits record $5.85 Diesel has hit a new record price in the U.S., soaring to an average of $5.85 a gallon for the first time ever Dan Haygarth 6 September 2026 13:00 OPEC+ set to keep oil output policy unchanged on Sunday, sources say OPEC+ (Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and other oil-producing countries) is set to keep its oil ⁠output policy unchanged for October at a meeting on Sunday, two people familiar with the discussions told Reuters, as the producer group needs to agree new quotas before deciding its ⁠next output steps. The meeting comes ​as ⁠the Iran war continues to disrupt oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz, limiting OPEC+'s ⁠influence over prices and market share. Unlike in the ​past, ⁠the group's supply decisions have ‌had a limited impact on the market. In August, OPEC+ agreed its production boost for September, completing a ‌phased rollback of a 1.65 million-barrel-per-day supply ‌cut first agreed in 2023. Despite the agreed production increases, the group made up of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries ⁠and its allies, including Russia, still produces far below its targets because of the war. OPEC+ still has another layer of production cuts in place, covering most members of the 21-country group until the end of 2026. Before the group decides how to unwind the cuts ‌and return production to the market, it needs ​to review members' oil production capacity to set ‌2027 output baselines, which ⁠form the basis for quotas. This debate will likely ⁠happen later in 2026 and hence OPEC+ is likely to pause ‌its output increases ​for the fourth quarter, sources ‌earlier told Reuters. Dan Haygarth 6 September 2026 12:30 In full: US strikes three Iranian oil tankers after two of its warships targeted with missiles The U.S. military says it struck three Iranian oil tankers Saturday, including one off the coast of Kharg Island , near Iran's key oil export hub. The strikes were carried out after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched ballistic missiles at two U.S. Navy warships, Central Command said. “Let the message to the IRGC be clear: If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost — taking out three of yours," said Admiral Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command. In a statement Saturday, the military said an aircraft carrier and a destroyer evaded “multiple unprovoked Iranian attacks”, and no U.S. personnel were hurt. It said two Iranian oil carriers were “permanently disabled” and the third, unladen one, was destroyed. The U.S. statement said the tankers were part of a shadow network helping to fund Iran’s IRGC. Read more: US strikes three Iranian oil tankers after two of its warships targeted with missiles Central Command told Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps: ‘If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost’ Dan Haygarth 6 September 2026 12:00 Watch - ‘I wouldn’t call it a war’: JD Vance’s jaw-dropper after reporter asks about Iran timeline ‘I wouldn’t call it a war’: JD Vance’s jaw-dropper after reporter asks about Iran timeline Dan Haygarth 6 September 2026 11:30 UK chancellor warns of tough Budget because of economic impact of Iran war The Chancellor has warned that the Budget in the autumn could be tough, as US President Donald Trump’s war in the Middle East affects the British economy. John Healey issued the warning amid the leap in Government borrowing earlier this week, reflecting concerns among lenders about the inflationary impact of the US’s war with Iran. Mr Healey also told the Financial Times he would ensure the UK emerges from his first Budget on 28 October with a solid “buffer against uncertainty”. Economists have predicted that the fiscal buffer Rachel Reeves built up in her last budget, through a combination of tax rises and departmental spending cuts, will be squeezed by the inflationary pressures of ongoing global turmoil. This could limit prime minister Andy Burnham’s ambitions to tackle the cost-of-living crisis, and spending plans across his wider agenda for Government. The chancellor told the FT: “What’s happening in the Middle East is hitting inflation, it’s hitting growth, it’s hitting borrowing costs.” He added: “It’s part of a more dangerous world that is more uncertain and it’s one of the challenges we have to meet in this country, but have to meet with other [countries].” Dan Haygarth 6 September 2026 11:00 Comment: We are now in the age of the Energy Wars The Falklands are just the beginning – we are now in the age of the Energy Wars From the Islands to the Strait of Hormuz and far beyond, oil and energy are at the heart of many of the 60 or so conflicts across the planet right now – and this is just getting started, says Robert Fox Dan Haygarth 6 September 2026 10:30 Israeli military says it strikes southern Lebanon after Hezbollah launched drones The ​Israeli military said it was striking southern Lebanon early on Sunday ⁠in retaliation for Hezbollah firing two drones at Israeli soldiers stationed in a part ⁠of the ​region ⁠it has declared a security zone. The Israeli ⁠military had issued ​an ⁠evacuation warning to areas ‌near a building in Arab Salim town in ‌South Lebanon, saying it ‌will strike it as it is used by ⁠Hezbollah. There was no immediate comment from the Iran-backed group. On Friday, the Israeli military said it struck weapon storage facilities intended to ‌be used by ​Hezbollah in south Lebanon. Since 2 ‌March, ⁠Israeli strikes have killed ⁠more than 4,300 people in ‌Lebanon. Dan Haygarth 6 September 2026 10:30 Iranian death row prisoner smuggles out desperate plea to the world: Do not forget about us From behind the bars of a brutal Iranian prison, a political dissident awaiting execution describes life behind bars – and says the war with the US has made carrying out executions easier for the regime. Alex Croft reports. Iranian death row prisoner smuggles out plea to the world: Do not forget about us Exclusive: From behind the bars of a brutal Iranian prison, a political dissident awaiting execution describes life behind bars – and says the war with the US has made carrying out executions easier for the regime. Alex Croft reports Dan Haygarth 6 September 2026 10:00 A fuel tanker explosion in west Iran kills 11 and injures 7, report cites fault brakes A fuel tanker exploded in western Iran, killing 11 people and injuring seven others, state media said. IRNA reported late Saturday that the tanker hit other cars before bursting into flames near a traffic police station close to the Kurdish city of Sanandaj, some 400 kilometers (248 miles) west of the capital, Tehran. The report cited a faulty brake system. The injured were transferred to hospitals. In 2018, a similar road accident between a fuel tanker and an intercity passenger bus near Sanandaj killed 15 people and injured four. Road and traffic accidents annually leave more than 17,000 dead in Iran. Experts blame the high fatality rate on unsafe vehicles, disregard for traffic rules, and inadequate emergency services. Dan Haygarth 6 September 2026 09:30 Watch - 'Small potatoes': Trump says Iran conflict isn't a 'big thing' for US 'Small potatoes': Trump says Iran conflict isn't a 'big thing' for US Dan Haygarth 6 September 2026 09:15 Newer 1 / 2 Older