Iran Says It Hit U.S. Bases and Mined Tanker as Oil Rises Toward $90 on Hormuz Fears
Iran says it attacked U.S. targets at bases in Jordan and the UAE and claims a supertanker struck naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz after a reported American strike on Larak Island, while Brent crude climbs toward $90 a barrel.
Oil markets and Gulf security were shaken on 31 August by a sharp escalation in the stand‑off between Iran and the United States, with Tehran claiming attacks on U.S.‑linked bases and disruption near the Strait of Hormuz as benchmark crude prices jumped.
In official statements on 31 August, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the regular army said they had attacked American targets at two air bases in Jordan — King Hussein Air Base and the base at Azraq — and at the Al Minhad air base in the United Arab Emirates. Iran framed the actions as retaliation for what it says was an American strike on Larak Island, an Iranian‑controlled site near key Gulf shipping routes. Tehran also said it launched drone strikes on areas of Al Minhad that it claims host U.S. forces and helicopters. These claims have not been independently verified, and there were no early public details from the United States, Jordan or the UAE on damage or casualties.
At sea, the IRGC Navy said a fully loaded oil supertanker transiting the southern Strait of Hormuz hit two naval mines, caught fire and had to stop. Iranian reports did not name the vessel or its flag. Iran separately stated that it had shot down a U.S. MQ‑9 drone over the Strait of Hormuz, with the aircraft falling into the Persian Gulf. As with the claimed base strikes, there was no immediate matching public account from Washington.
The reports come as Iran portrays itself as directly confronting U.S. assets across the region rather than working only through allied militias. Strikes on or near King Hussein Air Base and Azraq in Jordan and Al Minhad in the UAE, if confirmed, would signal a willingness to target military facilities on the territory of U.S. partners that have long hosted Western aircraft and logistics.
Energy markets reacted quickly to the overnight developments. Brent crude rose by roughly 2.5–2.8% in a matter of hours and approached $90 a barrel. Traders are responding to the risk that an active conflict around the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow channel used by a large share of Gulf oil exports — could raise transport and insurance costs or disrupt flows if tankers face new hazards from mines or drones.
For crews on commercial tankers and bulk carriers, the prospect of a burning supertanker in the main shipping lane, even if contained, complicates routing and timing decisions. Airlines, shipping firms and local authorities in Jordan and the UAE must also factor in the possibility of further strikes near bases that sit close to civilian infrastructure.
The next indicators that could shift the trajectory of this confrontation include public confirmation or contradiction by the United States, Jordan and the UAE of Iran’s claimed base attacks, mining incident and downed MQ‑9; clearer identification of any damaged tanker; and sustained movement in oil prices or visible changes in tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Sources
- OSINT