Tensions are rising again in the Strait of Hormuz, with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard announcing the targeting of an American drone boat, in parallel with an exchange of threats and attacks between Tehran and Washington in one of the most sensitive sea lanes in the world.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced, early Sunday morning, the targeting of an American drone boat, which it said was intending to enter a protected area in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Revolutionary Guard confirmed that the Strait is under Tehran’s management, stressing that it will deal firmly with any American move in the region.
On Saturday evening, the Revolutionary Guard announced that it had targeted an American aircraft carrier and a destroyer with ballistic missiles, saying that they harassed Iranian ships and participated in the naval blockade.
He added that the two American ships left the area of the clash after sustaining damage, considering that the US Central Command’s recognition of the attacks is evidence of the defeat of the United States and its offensive power, as he put it.
The Revolutionary Guard also vowed stronger responses if what it described as American hostilities continued.
On the other hand, NBC News quoted a White House official as saying that Iran does not have the right to target ships in the Strait of Hormuz, warning of consequences if it continues to do so.
On Saturday, the US Army announced the destruction of 3 oil tankers belonging to the Revolutionary Guard, after Iran targeted two American warships.
The US Central Command said that it permanently disabled the “Downey” tanker off Khark Island and the “Stark 1” tanker near Jask, and also destroyed the empty “Kilo” tanker in the Gulf of Oman.
Centcom Commander Admiral Brad Cooper described targeting the tankers as a message that attacking two American ships would be met with a greater economic cost.
In turn, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that shooting at American ships would be met with the destruction and sinking of oil tankers.
The United States and Israel had begun a war against Iran on February 28, 2026, followed by Tehran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, before Washington and Tehran signed the “Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding” on June 17, which stipulated the cessation of military operations and the beginning of arrangements to reopen the Strait to navigation.
However, the agreement later faltered due to disagreements over its implementation and navigation in the strait, before confrontations renewed last July.
