Iran says it hit U.S.-linked bases and claims tanker mine blast as oil prices jump
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards say they struck U.S.-linked bases in Jordan and the UAE and that a supertanker hit naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, as oil prices climbed around 2.5–2.8%. None of the claims have been independently confirmed, but they raise the risk of wider disruption in a key energy chokepoint.
Iran’s claims of overnight attacks on U.S.-linked targets in the Middle East and a mine-struck tanker in the Strait of Hormuz have added fresh tension to global energy routes, helping to push oil prices higher.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and army said they launched strikes on two air bases in Jordan – King Hussein Air Base and the base at Azraq – and on the Al Minhad air base in the United Arab Emirates. They described the facilities as hosting U.S. forces and helicopters and framed the attacks as retaliation for a U.S. strike on Iran’s Larak Island.
So far, there has been no public confirmation from Jordan, the UAE, or the United States about damage or casualties at the bases Iran named. Details of the reported U.S. strike on Larak Island, an Iranian outpost in the Gulf, also remain limited in open sources.
Separately, the Revolutionary Guards said a large oil “supertanker” in the southern Strait of Hormuz was hit by two naval mines, caught fire, and was forced to stop. They did not release the vessel’s name, flag, owner, or cargo, and no independent evidence of the incident has been made public. A related statement from the IRGC Navy also described a supertanker catching fire after contact with two naval mines in Hormuz.
Iran’s forces additionally say they shot down a U.S. MQ-9 drone over the Strait of Hormuz, with the aircraft crashing into the Persian Gulf. The MQ-9 is a U.S. surveillance and strike drone; Washington has not yet publicly confirmed or detailed such a loss in the area.
Energy markets reacted quickly to the broader confrontation. Brent crude oil rose about 2.5–2.8% and was trading near $90 a barrel in the hours after the Iranian statements and reports of mutual U.S.–Iran strikes. For shipowners and crews, even unverified claims of mines and downed drones in Hormuz signal higher risk when planning transits through a corridor that carries a significant share of the world’s traded oil.
The next concrete indicators will be visual or satellite evidence from the Jordanian and Emirati bases, identification of the reported supertanker and its status, and any official U.S. comment on the alleged Larak strike and MQ-9 shootdown. Moves by Gulf states or the U.S. to step up naval escorts or issue new warnings to shipping would show that governments are treating the Hormuz threats as an operational danger rather than just rhetoric.
Sources
- OSINT