Amman, September 9, 2026: Iran’s Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) said on Wednesday that it had fired ballistic missiles at a base in Jordan used by US forces and attacked 10 ships in the Strait of Hormuz, sharply escalating the six-month-old conflict after the United States said it had destroyed five Iranian oil tankers.
The latest exchanges have shattered a month of relative calm, with US and Iranian attacks increasingly targeting military, shipping and energy assets and drawing regional allies deeper into the conflict.
US Central Command released video of strikes it said were carried out in response to two Iranian ballistic missile attacks on a US Navy warship over the previous two days. Washington said no American personnel were injured.
“Iran continues to try to hit US naval ships, and for every time they do that or try to do that, they’re going to lose tankers,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters during a visit to Colombia.
The IRGC subsequently said it had launched a ballistic missile attack on a base used by US forces near Al Azraq in Jordan.
Iran claimed its missiles caused heavy damage, but Jordan said its air defences intercepted 18 of the 20 missiles, with the remaining two landing in unpopulated areas. No casualties were reported.
A US official also said the Iranian attack was ineffective and that all American troops in the area were accounted for.
The IRGC said it separately attacked 10 vessels, including two US vessels and eight oil tankers, that were attempting to cross what it described as a “prohibited and unsafe” area of the Strait of Hormuz.
The strategic waterway is a major conduit for global energy supplies and has been severely disrupted by Iranian attacks during the conflict.
Iran has repeatedly targeted US assets and regional allies during the war, including targets in Jordan. An earlier attack in July killed at least two US military personnel, according to US officials.
Iran has also threatened oil tankers at ports in Kuwait and Bahrain, while a maritime security source said a liquefied natural gas tanker was damaged at the Emirati port of Khor Fakkan. It remained unclear who was responsible for the incident.
Oil prices extended their gains in early Wednesday trading, with Brent crude approaching $100 a barrel amid concerns over disruptions to tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Recent Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia have further heightened concerns over regional oil supplies.
Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia
The Houthis launched attacks on several Saudi cities on Tuesday, further widening the regional conflict.
The attacks reportedly wounded 73 people and set oil installations ablaze. The escalation came amid the wider war that began on February 28 with joint US-Israeli attacks on Iran.
The Houthis, who control most of Yemen’s populated areas including the capital Sanaa, have also pressured US allies by periodically disrupting shipping around the Red Sea entrance to the Arabian Peninsula.
The group said it had launched a broad operation deep inside Saudi territory, using drones and missiles to target a Saudi air base in Khamis Mushait and facilities belonging to state oil company Aramco in Abha, Najran and Jazan.
Saudi authorities reported fires at the targeted sites and said women and children were among those wounded.
The broader conflict has developed into a high-stakes confrontation between Washington and Tehran, with both sides seeking to use economic pressure and competing blockades to force the other to back down.
The United States is seeking to maintain oil flows to international markets by facilitating shipping through the Strait of Hormuz while attempting to restrict Iran’s oil exports through a blockade.
US Central Command said the five tankers destroyed on Tuesday were part of a shadow network allegedly used to finance the IRGC and its regional proxies.
