Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it hit two American ships and eight tankers in Gulf waters, portraying the move as retaliation for the U.S. taking out five Iranian tankers on Tuesday. The Guard said those ships tried to cross a part of the Strait of Hormuz it had labeled "forbidden and unsafe," according to semiofficial Tasnim.
Centcom detailed five tankers hit on Tuesday: four in the Gulf of Oman - the M/T Kaviz, M/T Charminar, M/T Horizon 1 and M/T Riesco - and the M/T Derya near Iran's Kharg Island. U.S. forces told crews to abandon ship before disabling the vessels, according to the command.
Centcom said the earlier operations followed the Guard twice launching ballistic missiles at a U.S. warship over the past two days. The U.S. warship avoided the attacks and no personnel were hurt. In a separate update, Centcom said that on Saturday U.S. forces destroyed three Iranian tankers following IRGC launches of ballistic missiles aimed at an aircraft carrier as well as a guided‑missile destroyer; none of those attempts hit their targets.
In a statement circulated by U.S. Central Command, U.S. Navy Captain Tim Hawkins told CNBC that "An underwater drone operated by U.S. forces malfunctioned more than a day ago," adding that it "was surveying regional waters in support of ongoing operations," and noting that "U.S. operations in area waters continue."
Iranian media outlets described the captured craft as a Dive-LD made by Anduril, and Fars later posted images and video it said showed the vehicle out of the water.
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Uncrewed systems are becoming central to operations in the region. This summer, the startup Saronic deployed one of its drone boats to assist in rescuing crew members after a helicopter was downed in the Strait of Hormuz. The same class of boats was later employed in an attack targeting an Iranian submarine and ship facility.
Oil traders did not wait for clarity. Brent crude reached $100 on Wednesday as hostilities flared near a vital global oil chokepoint. Recent days have seen fresh exchanges of strikes between the U.S. and Iran around the Persian Gulf, even as the Trump administration moves to focus on hobbling Tehran through economic measures. Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi mocked the renewed sanctions in a post on X, finishing with, "Seriously?"
For your wallet, here is the takeaway: when the Strait of Hormuz is in the headlines, energy and shipping costs can swing quickly and spill over into everything from fuel to freight. If parts of your budget or investments are sensitive to oil prices or Middle East trade routes, this is the flashpoint to watch.
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