Iran touts military response as US maintains blockade, hits tankers | US-Israel war on Iran News
Tehran, Iran — The United States continues to employ a combination of military operations and economic sanctions against Iran, a strategy that has prompted Iranian officials to weigh more forceful retaliatory measures.
On Saturday, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) released video footage purportedly showing strikes on three Iranian crude oil tankers. The first attack targeted a vessel off Kharg Island, Iran’s primary oil export facility, while additional strikes occurred near Jask and in the Gulf of Oman. According to CENTCOM, two of the tankers were “permanently disabled,” and a third sank after extensive bombing.
In response, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) aired its own video, depicting projectiles hitting multiple ships in the Strait of Hormuz. “The aggressor U.S. must understand that it has no choice but to leave the region and cease its malign activities,” the IRGC stated in a press release on Sunday. The IRGC also reported that a U.S.-constructed sea drone was struck while attempting to enter Iranian waters in the strategically significant waterway, through which approximately one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas is transported during stable conditions.
The IRGC further claimed to have launched several ballistic missiles at a U.S. aircraft carrier and another naval vessel participating in the ongoing blockade of Iranian ports. Although the IRGC reported some damage to both ships, CENTCOM stated that the vessels successfully evaded the attacks.
The IRGC characterized the U.S. acknowledgment of missile launches as “evidence of the enemy’s strategic defeat and proof” of its own offensive capabilities. During a confidential parliamentary meeting, Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf asserted that Iran has dealt significant blows to U.S. military bases in the region, causing frustrations among American leaders.
“The Americans have understood that the era of proportional responses has ended, and our recent assaults against aggressive bases are just the beginning,” Ghalibaf stated, warning that any additional attacks on Iranian interests would trigger “faster, heavier, and more painful” retaliatory strikes.
Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the U.S. assaults on Iranian vessels as illegal, labeling them a “war crime” in violation of the United Nations Charter.
Blockade Impact Analysis
U.S. and Iranian officials present conflicting narratives regarding the situation in the Strait of Hormuz amid the naval blockade that has been in effect since mid-July. The administration asserts that traffic through this critical waterway is approaching pre-war levels under U.S. supervision, despite Iranian threats and actions. Conversely, Iranian authorities maintain that the strait remains effectively closed.
The U.S. military reported that approximately 90 commercial vessels have been redirected as a consequence of the blockade, with several others either disabled or boarded. Data from TankerTrackers indicates that crude oil exports from the Middle East decreased by 39 percent in August compared to earlier months, with a current deficit of 7.2 million barrels per day.
While Iranian officials acknowledged difficulties in getting crude oil past U.S. warships, they claimed that exports had not completely ceased. President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that Iran exported up to 90 million barrels of oil during the period covered by a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. earlier this year. Some of this oil is reportedly stored in floating reserves, allowing for discounted sales to China, Iran’s main oil customer, despite ongoing U.S. sanctions.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent noted that only about 30 million barrels of Iranian crude are unsold and predicted that these supplies would soon be depleted. He emphasized the effectiveness of the blockade and sanctions as components of the U.S. strategy known as “Operation Economic Outcast,” designed to further isolate Iran.
Iranian authorities have not specified how much longer they can continue exporting oil amid the U.S. blockade or whether they are investigating alternative routes for oil transport. Experts suggest that while overland routes may allow limited exports to neighboring countries, they cannot replace the volume of oil typically transported via large tankers through the Strait of Hormuz.
On Sunday, Iran’s Economy Ministry announced the establishment of an “economic war headquarters” to counter the pressures of U.S. sanctions, as the nation grapples with high inflation, unemployment, and other economic challenges. However, IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebbi asserted that the U.S. was incurring more economic damage from the blockade than Iran.
“If the U.S. causes one dollar’s worth of damage to Iran, it may cost itself several dollars,” he claimed, citing decreased U.S. strategic energy reserves and reduced aluminum exports from the region as evidence.
