TEHRAN (Realist English). On September 1, the United States carried out a new wave of massive airstrikes against Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targets on Iranian territory. US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that American forces began striking Iranian targets at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time (7:00 p.m. Moscow time).
In its statement, CENTCOM said the strikes were in response to “recent IRGC attack attempts against commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and against US military personnel stationed in the region.”
According to Iranian authorities, several projectiles struck the port cities of Chabahar and Konarak in southeastern Iran. Explosions were also heard east of Bandar Abbas and on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz.
From Tanker Shelling to Full‑Scale Strikes
The immediate trigger for the escalation was events of the previous day. On Monday evening, two oil tankers — one flying the Saudi Arabian flag, the other South Korean — were struck by unidentified projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz. Greek maritime risk management company Marisks confirmed the attack. The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported the incident, noting there were no casualties or environmental damage.
Hours before the US strikes, on August 31, Iran launched missiles at a US military base in Jordan in response to US strikes on Iranian missile launchers on Larak Island. Tehran also fired missiles and drones at the United Arab Emirates. Iran officially stated that two people were killed and several injured as a result of the US strikes.
“The Big Attack Is Waiting”: Trump and Tehran React
US President Donald Trump, in a post on Truth Social, called the strikes “large and powerful” and said they were carried out “in response to Iran’s failed attempt to lay naval mines in the strait.” He also mentioned that the US had shot down eight Iranian missiles fired at a US base in Jordan.
Trump warned Tehran of the consequences of any response: “If the failed nation of Iran responds to this completely justified attack, they will be struck again, but much harder and at a higher level.” He added that this “will not be the biggest attack of all — that one is waiting for its time, and when it is over, little will remain of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
Iran responded swiftly. IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebi said Washington “will regret its new attacks” and that “severe punishment awaits the aggressors.” Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff promised to deliver “crushing and destructive blows” to the “American enemy.” The statement stressed: “The more the US insists on its aggression in the region, the greater and heavier the losses it will suffer.”
Six Months of War and an “Economic Pause”
The escalation came after several weeks of relative calm, during which the Trump administration had announced a shift from military action to economic pressure on Tehran. However, the tanker shelling and new strikes on Iranian targets have dashed hopes for de‑escalation.
Sunday’s strikes on Larak Island were the first known US attacks on Iran in weeks. Washington said it had struck Iranian launchers on the island to prevent the mining of the strategic shipping lane.
Since the outbreak of the conflict in late February 2026, the sides have exchanged dozens of strikes. A June framework agreement, brokered by Pakistan and Qatar, collapsed, after which the US resumed bombing in July and re‑imposed a naval blockade of Iranian ports.
Oil Markets on Edge
Amid reports of new attacks, oil prices continued to rise. Brent crude climbed above $94 per barrel, with WTI near $90.
The Strait of Hormuz, through which one‑fifth of the world’s oil passed before the war, remains effectively closed to shipping.
A War of Attrition Without an Exit
September’s escalation is further confirmation that the six‑month US‑Iran conflict has reached a dead end. The Trump administration is attempting to combine military strikes with economic pressure, but every new tanker shelling or missile attack on bases pulls the sides back into the military phase of confrontation.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that Washington’s return to “a policy of pressure and threats could derail the diplomatic path.” Trump, for his part, continues to threaten Tehran with “the biggest attack of all.”
Yet open questions remain. How much longer will this cycle of escalation continue, with each side trying to prove its resolve while neither is ready for full peace? Can economic pressure, including the naval blockade and sanctions, force Tehran to make concessions, or will it only harden Iran’s resolve? And most importantly — will the latest round of violence lead to full‑scale war, which neither side appears to want, but both are approaching with each new strike?
For now, oil markets are in turmoil, the Strait of Hormuz remains a theatre of confrontation, and the answers to these questions remain as uncertain as the trajectory of the conflict itself.
