Iran claims that it attacked 10 ships near the Strait of Hormuz, while U.S. forces say they have destroyed 10 Iranian tankers over the last week, marking the most significant escalation of the conflict in weeks.
According to The Guardian, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says that it successfully hit two U.S. vessels and eight oil tankers. The IRGC added that the vessels were attacked for being "noncompliant," implying that the ships had attempted to transit the waterway without Iran's permission.
However, U.S. Central Command offered a conflicting account, claiming that no U.S. vessels were hit, and that all attempted attacks by the IRGC failed. Centcom went on to assert that U.S. forces have destroyed 10 Iranian tankers over the last week.
The U.S. and Iran have continued to be far apart in negotiations over a potential ceasefire. While Iran has remained insistent that it be allowed to control traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. has demanded that the waterway return to its prewar state. Speaking to reporters on September 9, President Donald Trump said that he doesn't expect the war to end prior to November's midterm elections.
