Day 193 | Tehran warns ships against using the 'US corridor' in Hormuz

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Read more: Day 194 | Tehran threatens vessels in Bahrain, Kuwait after US strikes Iranian tankers

The IRGC Navy warned all crew members on oil tankers at anchorages and berths in Kuwait and Bahrain to evacuate immediately, stating those vessels will be targeted in retaliation for US strikes on Iranian tankers.

Senior US officials told Fox News Chief National Security Correspondent Jennifer Griffin that recent strikes targeting Iranian oil tankers near Kharg Island and Jask belong to a broader military effort to squeeze Iran economically.

Senior US officials to Fox: US military has struck targets near Kharg Island and Jask.
The targets include Iranian oil tankers.
This is part of a larger effort to squeeze Iran economically. The strategy includes sinking and disabling Iranian crude oil tankers.

— Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) September 8, 2026

A small Iranian oil tanker was struck by a US missile four miles off the coast of Kharg Island, Iranian state-linked Tasnim News Agency reported on Tuesday.

The incident occurred within the anchorage area of Kharg Island, a critical maritime energy hub in the Persian Gulf, where local field reports earlier noted the sound of multiple explosions.

According to Tasnim, the projectile directly hit the vessel as it was positioned off the island's coastline.

Crew evacuated safely 

Local sources confirmed that despite the missile impact, no casualties or fatalities were suffered among the personnel on board.

Emergency procedures were initiated immediately following the strike, and crew members were safely evacuated from the damaged vessel.

Iranian relevant authorities are currently investigating the precise scope of the structural damage and evaluating the full dimensions of the incident, with further details expected as investigations proceed.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi criticized Washington's decision to deploy additional sanctions following military escalation, writing on X that the US went to war with Iran "on behalf of Israel" with "disastrous" fallout for American global standing.

Questioning the logic of Washington's strategy after decades of economic pressure, Araghchi added: "After failing to achieve its aims through sanctions or war, Washington’s 'novel' solution is…more sanctions. Seriously?"

After 47 years of sanctions, the US went to war with Iran on behalf of Israel. The fallout has been disastrous for America, including its standing worldwide.

After failing to achieve its aims through sanctions or war, Washington’s “novel” solution is…more sanctions. Seriously?

— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) September 8, 2026

Explosions were heard near the coast of Jask County at around 9:45 PM on Tuesday, according to Fars news agency.

Local sources reported that the sounds originated from the sea near the Sang-e Siah area, occurring in two distinct blasts spaced a short interval apart.

Several explosions were heard on Iran's Kharg Island on Tuesday night, with local field reports indicating that the blasts originated from the island's anchorage area, according to Mehr news agency.

No official statements regarding the cause, origin, or potential damages have been released by Iranian authorities.

• New US sanctions target Iran's last untouched aviation networks, hitting 36 airlines and suppliers accused of moving weapons and illicit cargo.

The Trump administration escalated its economic pressure campaign against Tehran on Tuesday, imposing sanctions on more than two dozen commercial and private Iranian airlines as well as foreign cargo service providers.

The move extends the administration's broader Operation Economic Outcast initiative, a campaign designed to sever critical financial lifelines for a government that is already among the most heavily sanctioned in the world. 

Tuesday's penalties zero in on what officials describe as the last untouched corners of Iran's aviation network, an industry that has faced sweeping US restrictions for years. 

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent framed the sanctions as a direct threat to anyone still doing business with Iranian carriers, warning that companies working with any of the country's remaining airlines, all of which were sanctioned Tuesday, risk being severed from the global financial system. 

“Let this be a warning to anyone doing business with Iran’s remaining airlines, all of which we sanctioned today: You are at risk of being cut off from the global financial system.”

According to the Treasury Department, the 36 entities named this week are accused of helping Iran use its aviation sector to move weapons, personnel, and illicit cargo. 

The action comes amid elevated tensions between Washington and Tehran, with the US military recently striking oil tankers and Iran claiming retaliatory attacks on vessels linked to American interests.

Read more: US set to impose new Iran bank sanctions this week

• IRGC describes the seizure as a complex intelligence and operational mission.
• The reported capture adds to rising tensions and maritime confrontations in the strategic waterway.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Tuesday that its naval forces seized an advanced unmanned American submarine operating at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz.

The claim was delivered via a formal IRGC statement broadcast on Iranian state television, amid ongoing military standoffs and shipping restrictions across the strategic transit corridor.

According to state media, the capture was conducted in the early hours of the morning following a targeted operation by Iranian naval units monitoring maritime traffic in the area.

"The IRGC naval forces captured one of the most modern, unmanned, and smart submarines of the US terrorist army at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz in a complex intelligence and operational action at dawn today," the Guards said in a statement carried by state TV.

Escalating maritime friction

The reported seizure marks a further escalation in naval encounters surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, through which a major portion of the world's daily petroleum supply transits.

Tehran has maintained active naval patrols and enforced restricted access zones throughout the months-long regional conflict.

Further details regarding the specific model or current disposition of the captured craft were not immediately released by Iranian authorities.

The US military did not issue any statement regarding the incident.

This is a developing story.

Iran’s army said Tuesday that it shot down a US “MQ-1 Predator” drone over the coastal city of Bandar Abbas.

“A few minutes ago, an invading MQ-1 drone was successfully shot down by the army's air defense systems, under the country's integrated air defense network,” the army said in a statement cited by Tasnim News Agency. 

“[It] was hit and destroyed by fire from the southeast air defense zone in the sky of Bandar Abbas,” the statement added.

US naval blockade has halted new Iranian oil exports from the Persian Gulf, leaving Tehran reliant on dwindling offshore stockpiles that are expected to run dry soon.

According to a Wall Street Journal report, no Iranian crude has crossed the US blockade line since it was reinstated in mid-July.

Iran continues limited loadings onto tankers inside the Gulf, but those barrels remain trapped.

The country is surviving on floating stockpiles of oil that left before the blockade tightened—volumes that have fallen sharply to around 29 million barrels from about 90 million in mid-July, per ship-tracking firm Kpler.

Kpler estimates that deliveries of roughly 1 million barrels a day, mostly to China, could exhaust the remaining oil already on the water by mid-October.

Payments for previously delivered cargoes are projected to dry up by mid-December.

Iran loaded just 255,000 barrels a day onto vessels inside the Gulf in August—85% below the February-April average—with those new barrels also stuck behind the blockade.

The loss of this primary foreign-currency earner is intensifying pressure on Iran’s already battered economy.

The rial has fallen sharply, official inflation exceeds 80% year-over-year, and the International Monetary Fund forecasts a 5.4% economic contraction in 2026—the worst since the 1980s.

Oil typically funds about a third of the state budget and helps finance the military, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

“Much will depend on the degree of economic pain that the Iranian regime is willing to bear to achieve its military and geopolitical objectives,” said Hamad Hussain, an economist at Capital Economics.

Ellie Geranmayeh, an Iran expert at the European Council on Foreign Relations, added: “The US campaign will have a significant effect on the average Iranian household. But in terms of Iran capitulating at the negotiating table? I have a lot of doubts. The evidence we have suggests the Iranian regime is likely to resist.”

Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad noted that sales and deliveries have been conducted far from the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman, reflecting reliance on earlier shipments.

Analysts such as Homayoun Falakshahi of Kpler say the blockade is also forcing production cuts, as stockpiles have not risen much and overland alternatives (truck or rail) can move only a fraction of previous seaborne volumes.

Petrochemical exports, another key hard-currency source, have similarly declined.

The Iran-backed Yemeni Houthis claimed Tuesday that they targeted economic and military facilities in southwestern Saudi Arabia with ballistic missiles and drones in response to Saudi airstrikes in Yemen, amid escalating fighting.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said, “The Yemeni Armed Forces carried out a large-scale, high-quality military operation targeting Aramco facilities in Abha, Najran and Jazan, the Economic City, as well as Khamis Mushait Air Base with dozens of ballistic missiles and drones.”

He claimed the strikes came in response to Riyadh carrying out “121 airstrikes” in Yemen over the past three days.

Saudi Arabia said attacks by the Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis targeting energy facilities on Tuesday sparked fires and the temporary shutdown of some operations.

"Several energy sector facilities and installations in the southern region of the kingdom were targeted this morning," the official Saudi Press Agency quoted an energy ministry source as saying.

"The attacks caused fires at several locations, leading to a temporary halt in some operations", as well as several injuries, it said.

Iran’s top security official has warned Washington that recent missile launches serve as a direct signal against US economic pressure, while announcing plans for what he called a “maritime exclusion zone” in the Arabian Gulf.

In a post on X on Monday, Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, stated: “In recent days, Washington has received a clear warning from Iran’s new missiles. Economic warfare will be met by a maritime exclusion zone across the Persian Gulf to the blockade perimeter. The operational posture toward U.S. warships and bases has been fundamentally recalibrated.”

In recent days,Washington has received a clear warning from Iran’s new missiles. Economic warfare will be met by a maritime exclusion zone across the Persian Gulf to the blockade perimeter.The operational posture toward U.S. warships and bases has been fundamentally recalibrated.

— محسن رضایی (@ir_rezaee) September 7, 2026

The comments refer to Iranian claims of firing the Qassem Basir ballistic missile at US warships near the Strait of Hormuz.

The US military said its vessels successfully evaded the attacks.

The US then struck three Iranian oil tankers.

Rezaei earlier said Iran would soon declare a restricted zone beginning at the edge of the US naval blockade and extending into parts of the Arabian Gulf.

Iranian authorities have reported another arrest operation against a small network inside the country, as Tehran continues to highlight domestic and border security threats amid the US-‘Israel’ war on Iran.

Iranian state media reported on Sunday that authorities arrested members of an eight-person network allegedly affiliated with “anti-revolutionary” and “pro-monarchy” groups.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Fars province accused the group of using Molotov cocktails and setting fire to tires during nationwide protests in January.

Iranian authorities have repeatedly announced arrests and clashes involving armed cells inside the country, as well as confrontations with armed groups along Iran’s land borders.

The latest arrests come amid heightened security concerns as Tehran faces continued tensions both domestically and along its borders.

Iranian officials have used such operations to reinforce a message of vigilance and state control, while warning that armed activity and attempts to destabilize the country will face a forceful response.

A US State Department spokesperson told Al Jazeera that Washington is coordinating with regional partners to prevent Iran’s disruption of navigation from becoming an accepted state of affairs.

“We will continue to take decisive measures against Iran’s attempts to blackmail the global economy,” the spokesperson said.

The official added that the US would not allow Iran to disrupt navigation through the Strait of Hormuz or “hold the global economy hostage.”

Democratic Sen. Mark Warner has sharply criticized President Donald Trump over the cost and strategy of the US war on Iran, accusing the administration of pursuing a war without a clear plan for achieving its objectives.

In a video posted on X, Warner said the war had already cost Americans $100 billion, with the figure rising by another $1 million every two minutes.

“The Iran war of choice that Donald Trump started cost Americans $100bn,” Warner said. “Every two minutes, it goes up by another $1m.”

Warner said the financial costs would continue to mount without progress toward the objectives Trump had outlined.

“If you view this, you know, an hour after I record it, another $30m there, and where are we? Nowhere in terms of any of the goals Trump laid out for this war of choice,” he said.

The senator argued that the situation demonstrated the risks of entering a war without adequate preparation or a clear exit strategy.

“This is what happens when you start a war of choice with no plan, no strategy, no allies, and no way to get out,” Warner said.

He ended his message by urging Americans to oppose the administration’s approach, saying: “Stand up, speak up, fight back.”

Iran has warned the United States that it is preparing to expand maritime restrictions across the Persian Gulf, raising concerns over a wider blockade around the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said Tehran would announce a new restricted zone outside the strait in the coming days.

Tehran threatens sanctions on vessels
According to Iranian state media, Rezaei said the zone would begin at the line of the US naval blockade and extend into parts of the Persian Gulf. Vessels entering the area would be placed on Iran’s sanctions list.

Rezaei said Iran’s recent missile launches were intended as a warning to Washington and reflected a fundamental shift in Tehran’s approach toward US military forces in the region.

He said Iran would respond to what it describes as economic warfare with a maritime exclusion zone extending to the blockade perimeter.

The announcement comes amid renewed US-Iran clashes and a sharp reduction in commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

The waterway is a critical global energy route, with millions of barrels of oil passing through it each day. Further restrictions could disrupt supplies and put additional pressure on global energy markets.

Brent crude rose above $97 a barrel on Monday as tensions around the strait intensified.

Rezaei has also said Iran and Oman are working on a new international shipping corridor through the strait, with an agreement potentially due in the coming days. Details of the proposed route have not been released.

Tehran has maintained that navigation through the Strait of Hormuz depends on the United States ending what Iran describes as attacks, threats and economic pressure.

The planned restricted zone could further complicate commercial shipping in the Gulf and increase the risk of a wider regional escalation.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry said a high-level Qatari delegation held “positive” talks in Tehran with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on reducing regional tensions and finalizing an agreement governing navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the agreement is ready and could be announced within days, potentially easing tensions around the strategic waterway, which carries a significant share of global energy shipments.

Tehran announces new maritime restrictions
Alongside the diplomatic developments, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Mohsen Rezaei announced a new maritime exclusion zone and a ban on the movement of vessels linked to the US.

The parallel moves reflect the fragile nature of the situation, as Tehran pursues diplomatic arrangements while maintaining pressure on US-linked shipping.

Political analyst David Des Roches also described an unofficial truce between Tehran and ‘Israel’ ahead of ‘Israel’s’ elections in October.

The developments come amid continued concerns over restrictions on tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and the possibility of further US military action if the maritime standoff escalates.

For now, a formal navigation agreement could offer a path toward easing the crisis, although Iran’s latest maritime restrictions indicate that tensions remain high.

US Central Command said 94 vessels have been rerouted, three vessels disabled and two inspected since the US resumed its naval blockade of Iran.

The command added that the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush continues to support enforcement of the blockade in the Arabian Sea.