Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1425 EAT on Wednesday 9 September 2026

In a series of retaliatory attacks, the US struck five Iranian oil tankers after Tehran targeted one of its warships, escalating tensions in the Middle East and raising concerns over global energy supplies.

Brent crude, the global benchmark for oil prices, climbed above $100 a barrel, reaching its highest level since late July, when a ceasefire between Iran and the US collapsed.

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement also attacked oil facilities in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday and has continued targeting tankers in the Red Sea, further fuelling fears of supply disruptions.

Brent crude later eased to $99.90 a barrel, but analysts warn that any further escalation in the Middle East could push prices higher.

The US strikes targeted five Iranian tankers, including four in the Gulf of Oman that were allegedly linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as well as another vessel near Kharg Island.

Tehran responded by launching missiles at a US military base in Jordan, most of which were reportedly intercepted. Iran also said it had attacked two US vessels and eight oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.

The Houthis and Saudi Arabia have also exchanged strikes since July, after an informal ceasefire between the two sides broke down.

Houthi missile attacks have targeted Saudi airports, oil facilities and tankers in the Red Sea.

The Houthis said the attacks were retaliation for a Saudi blockade of ports and airports, as well as an airstrike on Sanaa airport that they accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out.

On Monday, the Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of bombing a prison in al-Hazm, killing 11 people.

On Tuesday, Saudi authorities said Houthi attacks had targeted civilian and economic sites in the cities of Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran.

Oil prices have fluctuated sharply since the Iran-US war began on February 28, with wider regional instability adding further pressure to global energy markets.

Before the conflict began, Brent crude was trading at around $70 (£52) a barrel.

The war has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route through which about 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies pass.

The disruption has sent fuel prices soaring in countries around the world, putting motorists under growing pressure at the pump.

Tit-for-tat strikes between Iran and the US have intensified over the past week, more than six months after the conflict began on February 28, when the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran.

The latest escalation followed an Iranian attack targeting a US warship with ballistic missiles. US Central Command (Centcom) said the vessel “successfully evaded” the missiles and that no American troops were injured.

In response, the US said the five Iranian oil tankers it targeted were “part of a multi-billion-dollar shadow network” that funds Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its regional proxies.

One of the vessels targeted in the US strikes, the M/T Riesco, sank in the Gulf of Oman, US Central Command (Centcom) later said, releasing a video on X showing the damaged vessel.

Kharg Island, where another Iranian tanker was targeted in the latest round of US strikes, is home to Iran’s main oil export terminal.

About 90% of Iran’s crude oil exports pass through the island in the Gulf, transported from the mainland through pipelines.

Also on Tuesday, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement launched attacks on energy facilities and civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, injuring 73 people, according to Saudi authorities.

The drone and missile attacks sparked fires at oil facilities and other installations, temporarily disrupting operations, Saudi Arabia’s military and Energy Ministry said.

Responding to reporters about the latest tit-for-tat strikes between the US and Iran, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the situation as “pretty straightforward”.

“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. And I think you’ll see that again today,” Rubio told reporters during a visit to Colombia.

The US strikes on Tuesday came hours after Iran’s Navy claimed it had seized an uncrewed US submarine in the Strait of Hormuz.

However, US Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for US Central Command (Centcom), said the underwater drone had malfunctioned more than a day earlier and was being used to survey regional waters “in support of ongoing operations”.

Hawkins said the drone was an older model that “neither collected sensitive data nor carried any classified sonar or radar equipment”.

He added that US military operations in the region were continuing.

-BBC

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