The US military started striking targets in Iran as hostilities flared again after a month without military action.6 min readSep 1, 2026 10:48 PM IST First published on: Sep 1, 2026 at 10:48 PM IST ShareWhatsapptwitterFacebookPresident Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday. (AP Photo)The US military on Tuesday said that it has launched strikes against the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targets in Iran.In a post on X, CENTCOM wrote, “The strikes follow recent attempted attacks by the IRGC against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and against American service members deployed to the region.” The US military started striking targets in Iran as hostilities flared again after a month without military action.Today at 12 p.m. ET, U.S. forces began striking Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targets in Iran. The strikes follow recent attempted attacks by the IRGC against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and against American service members deployed to the region.— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) September 1, 2026US President Donald Trump had earlier, in a Truth Social post, described Iran as a nation on the brink of collapse, with no functioning military, currency or leadership capable of running the country, and accused Tehran of brutally suppressing its own protesters. He also promised swift retaliation, telling Fox News the US would respond firmly to the Jordan attack.The fallout was immediate: oil prices jumped, a tanker was reportedly struck near the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran’s foreign minister used a regional summit to demand the US return to its prior commitments.Here’s a full rundown of what’s happening.What exactly did Trump say on Truth Social?In a post that set off much of Monday’s news cycle, Trump wrote that Iran “is officially a Failed Nation” and declared “IT IS DEAD!” He claimed the country has no navy, no air force and no functioning currency, and said its soldiers and police are going unpaid amid what he described as 300% inflation. He also said Iran’s leadership is in “total disarray” and called it “incapable” of properly representing the country.(Photo: @realDonaldTrump)He accused Iran of killing its own protestersThe post claimed Iran has shown “a willingness to kill their protesters,” putting the death toll at “over 100,000 people,” and said Iranian leaders “must be tried for war crimes against humanity.”Story continues below this adTrump also dismissed criticism of his claims as sympathetic coverage from US media and, in his words, “a good line of ‘BULLSHIT.'”Why did this come now?The post landed hours after Iran launched missiles at two US air bases in Jordan overnight the first direct exchange of attacks between the two countries in roughly a month, following a US strike on Iranian launch systems on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz.Jordan’s army confirmed it intercepted eight missiles fired at the bases early Monday morning.Trump promised to ‘hit it them hard‘Speaking separately to Fox News’s Trey Yingst, Trump said the US would respond to the Jordan attack, telling the network, “We’re going to hit them hard,” and adding that “there will be a response.”Story continues below this adPresident Donald Trump speaks during an event to present the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to Artemis II crew members at Johnson Space Center in Houston. (AP Photo)What was the Kharg Island post about?Vice-President JD Vance said a separate, cryptic Trump social media post referencing Kharg Island was intended as “a message to the Iranians,” even though a US official later said the military had not actually targeted the island overnight.US Vice President JD Vance said that President Donald Trump’s social media post claiming Iran’s energy hub of Kharg Island had been blown to smithereens was supposedly intended to send a message to Tehran."The president likes to switch it up on social media a little bit. He… https://t.co/YJIUxNpsxI pic.twitter.com/Jy3FX2ugmi— The Cradle (@TheCradleMedia) August 31, 2026An Iranian official dismissed the post as “laughable.” The post was accompanied by an AI-generated video clip depicting fabricated US military strikes.Is the conflict spreading beyond the US and Iran?The UAE said it intercepted and condemned an Iranian drone over its territorial waters, calling the incident a “dangerous escalation.”The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO) said a tanker reported being struck by three unknown projectiles while exiting the Strait of Hormuz near Khasab, Oman. No casualties or environmental damage were reported.What is Iran saying in response?Speaking after the first day of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Kyrgyzstan, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Washington “must return to its commitments” and honor the terms of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding an agreement he said the US has violated.Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US President Donald Trump. (File Photo/AP)He added that resolving the standoff depends on the US returning to those terms, noting that ending the war remains a shared concern among nations.How are oil markets reacting?Brent crude rose 0.6% to $91.05 a barrel and WTI gained 1% to $86.59 early Tuesday, building on a strong session Monday when both benchmarks touched their highest levels in weeks.Story continues below this adAnalyst Tim Waterer of KCM said the renewed threat of Iranian retaliation has revived concerns about damage to Gulf energy infrastructure and uncertainty over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.How much traffic is actually moving through the Strait?Vessel transits through the Strait of Hormuz stayed thin on Monday, hovering around five ships compared with a 10-day average of roughly 14, according to ship-tracking data from Kpler.A man drives past a banner showing a portrait of the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, in downtown Tehran, Iran. (Photo: AP)Mediation efforts by Qatar and Oman to reopen the strait which once carried about a fifth of global oil supplies have so far failed to gain traction since Iran shut the waterway following US and Israeli strikes in late February.What’s next for US sanctions and oil supply?Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC that US sanctions aim “to create the conditions that they will want to come to the table,” predicting Iran’s economy could collapse within “weeks or months” if talks don’t progress.US Strategic Petroleum Reserve stockpiles fell by about 3.1 million barrels last week to 286.6 million barrels, near a 44-year low, though a new deal with Venezuela over its oil reserves could help replenish supplies.Reuters-polled analysts expect oil to hold above $80 a barrel through 2026 as shipping disruptions continue.AdvertisementLoading Recommendations...AdvertisementAdvertisement