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(https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=US%2C%20Iranian%20forces%20fire%20at%20vessels%20in%20waters%20near%20Iran&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.al-monitor.com%2Foriginals%2F2026%2F09%2Fus-iranian-forces-fire-vessels-waters-near-iran&via=AlMonitor)     (mailto:?subject=From%20AL-MONITOR.com%3A%20US%2C%20Iranian%20forces%20fire%20at%20vessels%20in%20waters%20near%20Iran&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.al-monitor.com%2Foriginals%2F2026%2F09%2Fus-iranian-forces-fire-vessels-waters-near-iran%0A%0ARead%20more%20at%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.AL-MONITOR.com)     (https://google.com/preferences/source?q=https://www.al-monitor.com/)   Add AL-MONITOR on Google         (FILE PHOTO: A satellite image shows an oil terminal at Kharg Island, Iran, February 25, 2026. 2026 Planet Labs PBC/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo) (FILE PHOTO: A satellite image shows an oil terminal at Kharg Island, Iran, February 25, 2026. 2026 Planet Labs PBC/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo)      Fire and smoke rise during what U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) says are strikes on Iranian oil carriers, at an unknown location in this screengrab taken from a handout video released on September 5, 2026. U.S. Central Command/Handout via REUTERS — U.S. Central Command      DUBAI, Sept 5 (Reuters) - U.S. and Iranian forces fired at vessels in waters around Iran on Saturday, including three Iranian oil carriers struck by the Americans and three tankers that Iran said it targeted while on unauthorized routes in the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. Central Command said it struck the three Iranian vessels, including one off the coast ofKharg Island, near Iran's oil export hub, after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched ballistic missiles at twoU.S. Navy ships. “Let the message to theIRGC be clear: If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost — taking out three of yours," said Admiral Brad Cooper, head ofU.S. Central Command, which oversees the U.S. military in the Middle East. The IRGCresponded by threatening intensified strikes against U.S. military vessels in the region, and said later it targeted the three tankers as well as three U.S.-linked vessels in other areas. "Do not be deceived by the 'terrorist'U.S. military and refrain from any suspicious movement aimed at passing through unauthorized waterways," the IRGC Navy said in a statement carried on Iranian state TV. "Otherwise, you will be targeted." Tasnim, the semi-official Iranian news agency, had reported that four U.S. missiles hit a tanker in the area of Kharg's anchorage. Tasnim quoted local sources as saying there were no casualties and the tanker's crew was being evacuated. No American personnel were harmed, Central Command said. The exchange of attacks followed an escalation in the past week that threatens to deepen a conflict that has continued since the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran in February, disrupting global energy supplies and drawing opposition from a majority of Americans before congressional elections in November. TRUMP'S THREATS OVER KHARG ISLAND While U.S. President Donald Trump's administration seeks to pivot toward an economic clampdown on Iran by widening sanctions, the president himself has kept open the possibility of military action. On August 31, Trump issued a one-line social media post accompanied by an AI-generated video depicting Kharg Island being "blown to smithereens." Iranian authorities have vowed a strong response ifKharg is attacked. Iran is the third-largest producer in the Organization of the Petroleum ExportingCountries and exported 90% of its crude via Kharg Island before the war. Flows have been disrupted since a U.S. blockade of Iranian oil exports began in mid-April. Trump has spoken of an attack on Kharg before. He said on June 11 that he wanted to take over the island, but then said a U.S. ​military operation there was off the table, days before Tehran and Washington signed an interim agreement aimed at ending the war on June 17. A U.S. attack on Kharg would further pressure Iran's oil industry and its wider economy, which is already reeling from the U.S. naval blockade. The U.S. imposed its blockade on Iranian ports after Iran effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, an important waterway that carried one-fifth of the world's oil supply before the war. Brent crude futures closed at their highest level since July 24 on Friday, at $96.28 a barrel, as tensions in the Middle East drive global supply concerns. (Reporting by Dubai newsroom; Writing by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Sharon Singleton, Timothy Heritage, Sergio Non, Rod Nickel)  You're reading a free AL-MONITOR Original  Want more like this?  AL-MONITOR All-Access gives you unlimited access to all our journalism, the full Daily Briefing, exclusive interviews, premium newsletters, and live events — for less than $2/week.  Email Address (https://www.al-monitor.com/checkout) See Offers  (https://www.al-monitor.com/visitor-agreement) Terms and (https://www.al-monitor.com/privacy) Privacy       Related Articles      (The strikes marked the first exchange of fire between the United States and Iran in a month.)    (https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/09/us-military-strikes-oil-tankers-iran-vows-tougher-reprisals) US military strikes oil tankers as Iran vows tougher reprisals    Agence France-Presse   (A statue of Iranian military members stands, as vessels in the Strait of Hormuz are visible near the beach of Bandar Abbas, Iran, August 26, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS)    (https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/08/trump-says-irans-kharg-being-blown-smithereens-gives-no-details) Trump says Iran's Kharg is being 'blown to smithereens', but gives no details      (Michael M. 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