Iran claims tanker strikes in Hormuz amid Kuwait drones
Iran's Revolutionary Guard said Friday it struck two tanker ships trying to pass the Strait of Hormuz under U.S. aerial escort, and claimed a drone attack on a U.S. base in Kuwait. The disputed tanker transit push matters because Hormuz has been nearly closed for weeks, driving oil prices higher as the war stretches into its sixth month.
Key Takeaways
- Iran's IRGC said it struck and stopped two "non-compliant" oil tankers under U.S. aerial escort in the Strait of Hormuz and turned four others around.
- Tehran also claimed drone strikes on U.S. facilities at Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base in Kuwait; Kuwait said it intercepted hostile drones with material damage only and no casualties.
- Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority said transit through Hormuz is "not possible" amid U.S. actions; the waterway normally carries about a fifth of global oil shipments.
- President Trump gathered his cabinet at Camp David as crude recently pushed past $90 a barrel and a Senate war-powers curb failed 49-50.
What did Iran claim about the tanker attacks?
According to CBS News, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps said Friday that "non-compliant oil tankers … were struck and stopped," while four other oil tankers changed course and returned.
The Guard said the ships tried to pass under a U.S. military "air escort." The Guardian reported Iran said the vessels used an "undeclared route." Iran and the U.S. have pushed competing transit routes through the strait, with each side bombing ships that take the other's preferred path.
U.S. Central Command said Thursday it had redirected 24 commercial vessels since restarting a blockade on Iranian ports earlier this month, up from 20 a day earlier. Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority separately declared transit "not possible" because of what it called continued U.S. "aggressive actions."
Why does a Hormuz tanker clash matter now?
The strait has been effectively closed since the war began on Feb. 28, and nearly shut again after fighting resumed about two weeks ago. That choke point once carried roughly 20% of the world's oil and gas shipments, so every blocked tanker tightens global supply.
Energy prices have climbed with the renewed fighting. On Thursday, crude pushed past $90 a barrel after a U.S. strike on Iran following attacks on U.S. bases in Jordan, The Guardian reported. Earlier this year Brent briefly reached $126 as shipments stalled.
Major producers have posted huge gains while consumers face higher fuel costs. Exxon Mobil reported second-quarter profits of $14.53 billion, up 105% year over year, while Chevron nearly quadrupled profits to $12.07 billion, CBS News noted via the Associated Press.
What happened at the U.S. base in Kuwait?
Iran's military said it launched drones at "fighter aircraft shelters, satellite communications systems and equipment storage facilities" at Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base. It framed the raid as retaliation for a U.S. strike on Qeshm Island that local media said killed three family members.
Kuwait's defense ministry said it detected hostile drones from dawn, "successfully intercepted and destroyed them," and reported only material damage from falling debris and no casualties. There was no immediate comment from U.S. Central Command.
Meanwhile, Trump convened his cabinet at Camp David to discuss the stalling war and rising prices ahead of U.S. midterms. The Senate again rejected a resolution to limit the president's Iran war powers, 49-50.
Verification itself is getting harder: a new Google AI Earth-editing tool can fabricate realistic base damage imagery, CBS found—another reminder to follow Future Tech & AI Wonders coverage as deepfakes blur wartime claims.