US strikes Iranian IRGC targets after attacks on merchant vessels in Strait of Hormuz | Today’s news
The United States has begun attacking targets linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran over attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Tuesday (September 1) that US forces launched the strikes at 12pm ET, citing recent attempts by the IRGC to launch attacks against merchant vessels in the strategic waterway as well as against US service members deployed in the region.
“At 12:00 p.m. ET today, U.S. forces began attacking Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targets in Iran,” CENTCOM said in a post on X.
The command said the attacks followed “recent attempted attacks by the IRGC against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and against US service members deployed in the region”.
The latest escalation comes days after the US military struck missile launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran subsequently fired missiles towards US sites in Jordan, which were intercepted, while the United Arab Emirates said it had intercepted an Iranian drone over its waters.
President Donald Trump acknowledged Monday that more U.S. strikes may be necessary.
New attacks on tankers have been reported
The renewed fighting has also raised concerns about commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy route.
The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it had received reports of an attack on a ship in the strait and another incident involving a tanker in nearby waters.
In the first incident, the UKMTO said the tanker was hit by three projectiles on Monday while traveling from the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz east of Oman. No casualties or environmental damage were reported.
The second report involved a tanker and military forces off the coast of Oman, also east of the strait. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
The attacks come as Iran seeks to assert greater control over the strategic waterway, which traditionally carries a significant share of global oil supplies.
Iran claims to control the Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said Tehran has effective control over the waterway despite the restricted movement of commercial vessels.
“The Strait of Hormuz is a place where at least 120 ships passed every 24 hours,” Qalibaf said in a video posted on the state-run Telegram channel. He argued that even if only two or three ships pass through on some nights, it demonstrates Iran’s control over the strait.
Qalibaf also accused the US and its allies of expanding the conflict beyond military operations into economic and information warfare.
He said Iran would not surrender through diplomacy and accused its opponents of trying to stir up unrest inside the country.
Pezeshkian calls for return to ceasefire commitments
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian criticized the Trump administration and continued to signal that Tehran could return to negotiations.
Ahead of a private meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Pezeshkian accused the US of unjustified aggression and claimed US strikes had killed Iranian leaders, commanders, scientists and civilians.
Pezeshkian later said, according to Iranian state media, that Iran would immediately retaliate if Washington went back on its commitments under the June memorandum of understanding.
The memorandum set a 60-day deadline for negotiations aimed at securing a broader peace agreement. As part of the deal, Iran agreed to remove mines from the Strait of Hormuz and allow ship transit, while the US agreed to end the naval blockade, ease sanctions, issue exemptions for Iranian oil exports, and begin work on a reconstruction package.
However, the truce quickly collapsed. Although the fighting subsequently eased for several weeks, the US and Iran exchanged fire again over the weekend.
Economic pressure returns to the spotlight
The renewed military action follows a period in which Trump appeared to have moved to use economic pressure against Tehran.
Trump has vowed an “economic D-Day” against Iran and threatened to tighten sanctions on the country, which has faced decades of US economic restrictions.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards remain a powerful force in shaping Tehran’s approach to the conflict. While Pezeshkian supported a negotiated settlement, the IRGC pushed for greater Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz and financial compensation for war damage.
The latest US strikes, tanker incidents and Iranian warnings have once again placed the Strait of Hormuz at the center of the conflict, raising concerns about the security of global energy supplies and commercial shipping.
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