Middle East on the Brink: Iran Strikes 10 Ships in Hormuz, Jordan and Riyadh Also Hit

Tehran/Amman/Riyadh (International Desk) — Tensions across the Middle East have exploded once again after all efforts to restore a US-Iran ceasefire and resume negotiations collapsed. On Wednesday, the United States and Iran exchanged missile strikes on each other’s vessels and military installations, while Jordan and the Saudi capital Riyadh also came under attack.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced Wednesday morning that it had struck 10 vessels in the Strait of Hormuz that were attempting to pass through an area it had declared “prohibited and unsafe.” The move came after a US strike destroyed five Iranian oil tankers. Iranian state media, citing the IRGC, claimed two US naval vessels and eight oil tankers were hit in the Gulf, though Washington has not confirmed the claim.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced Tuesday evening that on September 8 it had destroyed five Iranian oil tankers — named Kafez, Sharminar, Horizon One and Resco — in the Gulf of Oman, which it said were part of a covert IRGC financial network. The strike followed two IRGC ballistic missile attacks on a US warship over the preceding two days. CENTCOM said the US vessel evaded the Iranian strikes and no American personnel were injured.
Iran’s Mehr and Fars news agencies reported hearing explosions late Tuesday in two coastal areas of southern Iran, while a US official confirmed strikes on Iranian tankers near Kharg and Jask. The US and Iran had twice announced ceasefires, in April and June, aimed at restoring free maritime passage through the Strait of Hormuz and ending nearly six months of conflict — but both agreements soon collapsed. After the ceasefire broke down, the US reimposed a blockade on Iranian ports on July 13, aiming to cut off Tehran’s oil revenue, its main source of foreign currency.
20 Ballistic Missiles Fired at Jordan
The Jordanian army said Wednesday morning that Jordan was struck by 20 ballistic missiles launched from Iranian territory. It said 18 were intercepted and destroyed, while two landed in empty areas away from residential populations, with no casualties reported. Saudi Arabia condemned the Iranian strikes on Jordan as “barbaric and unjustified,” calling them a blatant violation of international law and the principles of good neighborliness.
Houthi Attack on Riyadh, Saudi Retaliation
Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed that Saudi Arabia carried out more than 30 airstrikes across Yemen on Wednesday in retaliation for a Houthi attack on Riyadh. Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV said enemy aircraft conducted 32 strikes within a few hours on areas of Marib, Al-Jawf, Taiz and Hodeidah governorates, wounding dozens. Saudi Arabia has not officially commented on the strikes, though it said Tuesday that Houthi attacks had temporarily halted operations at oil facilities.