TL;DR
This is a follow-up to the September 8, 2026 news item on US Central Command destroying five Iranian oil tankers. On September 9, 2026, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said that, in response to US attacks on Iranian oil tankers in the Persian Gulf, its naval forces struck and heavily damaged 2 US ships and 8 oil tankers in the area, and launched missile strikes on a US base in Jordan, hitting a hangar housing US warplanes; US data shows cumulative US casualties of 838 in the Iran war through September 8; Brent crude futures broke through $100 per barrel intraday on September 9.
Event overview
On September 9, 2026 — a day after the US military said it destroyed five Iranian oil tankers — the IRGC issued a statement saying that, in response to US aggression in attacking Iranian oil tankers in the Persian Gulf, its naval forces struck and heavily damaged 2 US ships and 8 oil tankers in the region; the IRGC also launched missile strikes on a US base in Jordan, hitting a hangar that housed US warplanes. The US side denied that its naval vessels had been attacked by Iran. The same day, US President Donald Trump said he expects the war with Iran to end after the November midterm elections.
Key facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date | September 9, 2026 |
| Actors | Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps / US military / US government |
| Event | IRGC says it struck and heavily damaged 2 US ships and 8 oil tankers, and launched missile strikes on a US base in Jordan |
| US response | US denied that its naval vessels had been attacked by Iran |
| US casualties (US data) | 838 cumulative through Sept 8 — 18 killed, 820 wounded (US Defense Casualty Analysis System) |
| Trump's remarks | Sept 9: expects the war with Iran to end "immediately" after the November midterms; said oil prices may take longer than the midterms to fall |
| Oil reaction | Brent crude futures broke $100/bbl intraday Sept 9 (first time since late July); settled at $101.21/bbl (+3.36%); WTI at $96.05/bbl (+3.25%) |
Related: the US Treasury announced new sanctions on Iran on September 8 covering 36 targets, focused on Iran's aviation industry; Iran said it will establish a new maritime "sanctions zone."
Background and impact
The US–Iran conflict has entered a cycle of retaliation since early September: after the US military said on September 8 that it destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers, the IRGC carried out the above retaliation on September 9, escalating the naval standoff. With global inventories being drawn down by the war, the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) raised its oil price forecast; Goldman Sachs warned prices could head toward $120 per barrel. Brent has risen more than 50% from its early-July low of $65.83/bbl. Trump said the war will end after the November 4 US midterm elections, but the market still faces uncertainty over that timetable.
Official sources
- CCTV News: Morning briefing, Sept 10, 2026 (IRGC statement): link
- CCTV: Trump says war with Iran will end "immediately" after midterms: link
- Xinhua: Brent crude futures break $100: link
- Securities Times: Oil tops $100/bbl as Middle East situation shifts: link
- China.com (China News Service): When will the US–Iran war end? Trump gives a timeline: link