# U.S. Says Iran Has ‘No Oil Shipments at Sea’ as IRGC Reportedly Strikes Tankers in Strait of Hormuz

*Saturday, October 3, 2026 at 4:05 PM UTC — Hamer Intelligence Services Desk*

**Published**: 2026-10-03T16:05:35.103Z (1h ago)
**Category**: markets | **Region**: Middle East
**Importance**: 9/10
**Sources**: OSINT
**Permalink**: https://hamerintel.com/data/articles/19562.md
**Source**: https://hamerintel.com/summaries

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**Deck**: U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says Iran will have no oil shipments at sea this week for the first time since it began extracting crude, while Iranian Revolutionary Guard naval forces are reported to have hit two tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, underscoring how sanctions and confrontation are colliding in one of the world’s main energy chokepoints.

Iran is facing claims of an unprecedented halt to its oil exports at the same time its forces are reported to be striking tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, tightening the link between financial pressure and risks to shipping.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said this week that “for the first time in history, since the Iranians began extracting oil, this week they will not have a single oil shipment at sea. They will have no revenue.” The statement, repeated in separate public comments, indicates Washington believes sanctions and interdictions have temporarily stopped Iran’s seaborne crude exports.

Bessent’s claim has not yet been backed by public tanker‑tracking data, but he tied it to a new low for Iran’s currency, portraying the weakening rial as evidence of a revenue shock. If Iran’s oil exports have fallen to zero even briefly, government finances, imports, and households would all feel the strain.

At the same time, Iranian military action at sea is drawing notice. Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) naval forces struck a second oil tanker in a single day in the Strait of Hormuz, according to reports that said a fire broke out aboard the ship. Details on the vessel’s flag, owner, and cargo were not immediately available, and there were no confirmed casualty figures by mid‑afternoon.

The Strait of Hormuz is the narrow waterway linking Gulf oil producers to global markets. Attacks there, if confirmed, raise the cost and risk of moving crude and fuel. Crews and insurers must now factor in the possibility of IRGC strikes in addition to other threats around the region.

U.S. officials have tried to steady market nerves. U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said that “more oil is going through the Strait of Hormuz today than before the conflict even started, because incredible pilots control the airspace.” His message is that U.S. military cover is keeping overall flows high despite incidents.

Together, Bessent’s and Hegseth’s statements suggest a Gulf in which exports from countries such as Saudi Arabia and Iraq continue, while Iranian barrels are constrained. Under those conditions, IRGC action against tankers can serve as retaliation and a reminder that Iran still has leverage over traffic in the strait.

For Iran’s authorities, any extended spell without oil revenue would deepen existing economic problems. The state depends heavily on crude sales to fund pay, subsidies, and security. A drop in export income combined with currency weakness tends to push up prices and erode living standards.

Shipping and energy markets don’t need a complete shutdown of Hormuz to react. Uncertainty over which ships might be targeted and how insurers will price that risk can be enough to move costs and planning.

The next concrete indicators will be commercial tanker‑tracking data on Iranian‑linked vessels, more precise information about the struck tankers, and any change in war‑risk premiums for voyages through Hormuz. Evidence on whether Iranian oil is truly absent from the water, or still moving in smaller volumes, will show how much practical leverage the United States has gained. Naval deployments and routing decisions by Gulf exporters will reveal how seriously they judge the danger of further IRGC attacks.