US and Iran trade retaliatory attacks on oil tankers as Strait of Hormuz conflict escalates

The United States and Iran exchanged retaliatory strikes on oil tankers on September 5, with US Central Command reporting it 'permanently disabled' two Iranian-linked tankers and 'completely destroyed' a third in the Gulf of Oman, while Iran's IRGC claimed retaliatory attacks on six vessels including three US-affiliated ships. The escalation occurred a day after President Trump dismissed the six-month conflict as 'small potatoes', and the Strait of Hormuz — through which approximately one-fifth of the world's oil passes — has been effectively closed since the war began in February. The crews of two of the attacked Iranian tankers were evacuated in lifeboats; Iranian state media reported no fatalities from the US strikes.