Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said two oil tankers caught fire after hitting mines in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, September 2, amid a widening military confrontation between Tehran and Washington.
The IRGC said the tankers “hit mines, exploded and were disabled” while attempting to pass through what it described as an unauthorised route. It accused the US military of encouraging the vessels to abandon what Iran considers the legal route through the strategic waterway.
The Guard warned maritime companies against using routes it deemed unauthorised, saying further punitive measures against vessels and companies that failed to follow its instructions would be implemented.
Kuwait condemns Iranian missile and drone attacks
Kuwait on Wednesday strongly condemned Iranian missile and drone attacks targeting several sites in the country at dawn, including a residential complex.
In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said the continuing attacks constituted a grave breach of international law and the UN Charter, as well as a violation of Security Council Resolution 2817.
It described the attacks as a dangerous escalation that threatened regional security and stability and undermined diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions.
Kuwait reiterated its right to take all necessary measures, in accordance with international law, to protect its sovereignty, security and interests and ensure the safety of its citizens and residents.
After months at sea, USS Abraham Lincoln docks in Thailand
Around 5,000 US sailors and Marines arrived in Thailand on Wednesday aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln for their first port call in nine months, following 286 days at sea, AFP reported.
The aircraft carrier docked at Laem Chabang, south of Bangkok, for five days of rest and recreation after its most recent deployment in the Middle East. The visit comes amid debate in the United States over President Donald Trump’s war with Iran and concerns about conditions aboard the ship.
The arrival has also raised hopes of a boost for businesses in nearby Pattaya. Anthony “AJ” Jones, a musician who performs at a beach bar in the city, said the visit had been the talk of the town and was expected to bring a windfall for local businesses.
Iranian Red Crescent seeks ICC investigation into wedding strike
Iran’s Red Crescent Society has called on the International Criminal Court to investigate a US missile strike on a wedding ceremony in Kuhestak, Hormozgan province, saying the attack could constitute a war crime.
In a letter to the ICC prosecutor, the Iranian Red Crescent Society said four people were killed and 67 others wounded in the strike.
The organisation said the reported civilian nature of the venue and the presence of civilians raised serious concerns under international humanitarian law and warranted an independent, impartial, thorough and effective investigation.
It said that, under the Rome Statute, intentionally launching an attack while knowing that the expected civilian harm would be clearly excessive in relation to the anticipated military advantage could result in individual criminal responsibility.
The organisation said the circumstances surrounding the strike could therefore amount to a war crime.
Ghalibaf calls US ‘Great Satan’
Iran’s top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Wednesday called the United States the “Great Satan” in a post on X, condemning what he described as attacks on children and families at a school in Minab, a sports hall in Lamerd and a wedding in Kouhestak.
Qatar condemns attacks on Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait
Qatar condemned the attacks on Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait, describing them as a dangerous escalation that could complicate efforts to contain tensions and undermine diplomatic initiatives aimed at restoring security and stability in the region.
In a statement, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said the attacks were a “flagrant violation” of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the targeted countries and breached international law, the UN Charter and the principles of good-neighbourly relations.
The ministry held Iran “fully legally responsible” for the attacks and their repercussions, warning that their continuation could undermine political and diplomatic efforts to restore regional security and stability.
Qatar expressed full solidarity with Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait and backed what it described as their legitimate measures to protect their sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.
It urged all parties to avoid steps that could widen the escalation and called for a serious return to dialogue and negotiations, alongside adherence to understandings reached through diplomatic efforts.
Kuwait residential complex hit by drone
Firefighting teams in Kuwait contained a fire that broke out at a residential complex in the capital at dawn on Wednesday after the building was targeted by what authorities described as an enemy drone.
Brigadier General Mohammed Badar Ibrahim, spokesperson for the Public Fire Force, said teams from the Al Helali and Al Madeenah centres responded immediately and brought the blaze under control.
No injuries were reported, and the damage was limited to property, he said.
Iran says 11 killed in US strikes
Iran said US strikes on its territory had killed 11 people, according to state media.
Seven people were killed and eight wounded when US missiles struck three locations in the southwestern province of Khuzestan overnight, state-run IRNA reported, citing the province’s deputy governor for security and law enforcement affairs.
The deaths followed a separate attack reported on Tuesday in southern Sirik county, where the Iranian Red Crescent said four people, including a child, were killed and more than 50 wounded in a US attack at a wedding.
US reportedly strikes 100 targets and two Iranian tankers
The United States struck around 100 targets during raids on Tuesday, including Revolutionary Guard air defence sites, radar systems, mine-laying capabilities, communications sites, anti-ship cruise missile launchers and attack drone launchers, Axios reported, citing US officials.
The operation also included strikes on two Iranian government-owned tankers under a new “tanker-for-tanker” policy approved by President Donald Trump, according to Axios. The tankers were anchored off the Iranian coast, north of the US naval blockade line, when American drones fired missiles at their engine rooms. Axios described the attacks as the first time the US military had struck Iranian oil tankers in response to attacks on shipping in the strait.
US officials said the wider operation had weakened Iran’s offensive capabilities around Hormuz and could reduce threats to commercial vessels for at least a month. A spokesman for US Central Command said the military did not target civilians and was aware of casualty reports issued by Iranian official media.
Iran claims attacks on US assets across the region
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it carried out overnight attacks on US assets in Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan and Erbil, in Iraq’s Kurdistan region, as part of its response to the latest American strikes.
Iran’s army separately said it targeted radar installations and assembly points of US forces at Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain using intensive suicide drone attacks, according to state media.
Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said its offensive operations against the Americans would continue until they regretted their actions, warning that continued US aggression would draw stronger, wider and more destructive responses.
IRGC political deputy General Yadollah Javani also urged Arab countries to expel US forces and reclaim American bases, warning of what he described as a “crushing” response against any staging point used to attack Iran. He specifically named Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan.
US says Iranian retaliation caused no serious damage
US officials gave a sharply different account of the Iranian attacks. Axios reported that Iran launched about 25 ballistic missiles, with only around half reaching Jordanian airspace. Ten were intercepted and three fell without causing injuries, according to the officials.
Iran also launched about 20 drones at US bases in Bahrain, most of which were intercepted, while two drones aimed at a US base in Erbil were also shot down. Ballistic missiles and drones were reported to have targeted US bases in Kuwait.
A US official quoted by Axios said the Iranian response had failed and claimed Tehran had lost control of both the Strait of Hormuz and the conflict.
Separately, Fox News, citing a US official, reported that the majority of Iranian missiles and drones were intercepted. All American personnel were safe and accounted for, and no serious damage was inflicted on US bases in the Middle East, the official said.
The official added that Iran’s command-and-control structure was not centralised and that it remained unclear who had survived or been killed within the Revolutionary Guard, when asked who was directing continued attacks on commercial ships.
Bahrain issues repeated potential threat alerts
Bahrain’s Interior Ministry issued a third alert over a “potential threat” within six hours, urging citizens and residents to remain calm, proceed to the nearest safe location and follow updates through official channels.
Emergency sirens were also activated across the kingdom early on September 2 amid the regional escalation.
Bahrain’s Armed Forces said they had intercepted and destroyed a number of Iranian aerial attacks and that all weapons systems and units were at the highest level of readiness.
The military urged people not to approach unfamiliar or suspicious objects that could be remnants of the attacks and to report them immediately. It said personnel from the Royal Field Engineering Unit were ready to deal with such objects safely.
Trump rejects reports of push for negotiations
Trump denied reports that he was trying to force Iran back to the negotiating table.
In a post on Truth Social, he said he was not trying to compel Tehran into talks and did not care whether Iran signed an agreement it considered worthless. He said he preferred the current US position, claiming Washington had “almost total control” of the Strait of Hormuz while Iran’s economy was “totally collapsing”.
Trump said Tehran was “just playing out the inevitable” and questioned when the Iranian people would “rise up and fight”.
Guterres calls for renewed diplomacy
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for renewed negotiations, saying the return of military strikes between the United States and Iran made “maximum containment” essential.
He said earlier diplomacy had appeared close to a breakthrough and urged both sides to resume talks.
Guterres also called for freedom of navigation to be fully restored in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab, warning that disruption to the key maritime routes could affect global energy supplies and trade.
Hormuz shipping remains below recent average
Shipping data and official US accounts offered contrasting pictures of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
According to preliminary Kpler data, only four commodity vessels transited the strait on Tuesday, well below the 10-day average of around 13. The vessels included a very large crude carrier, a Panamax tanker, a Kamsarmax carrier and an intermediate tanker, with three exiting the strait and one entering. The figures could change because vessels travelling with their transponders switched off would not appear in the data.
The low number followed preliminary Kpler data showing five commodity vessels passing through Hormuz on Monday, with no liquid tankers recorded.
That contrasted with US Energy Secretary Chris Wright’s statement that 17 million barrels of oil transited the waterway on Monday, which he said was the highest level of crude flows since the conflict disrupted shipping. Wright has previously said more oil was moving through Hormuz than vessel-tracking companies were recording.
Axios, meanwhile, reported that around 40 ships passed through the strait on Tuesday, carrying millions of barrels of oil, while US forces intercepted several anti-ship cruise missiles and drones launched towards commercial vessels. None reached their targets, according to US officials.
Israeli strikes reported in southern Lebanon
Elsewhere, two Israeli air strikes targeted the vicinity of the southern Lebanese towns of Kfar Rumman and Arab Salim, Al Jazeera reported.
The strikes followed an incident in northern Israel, where the Israeli military said interceptors had been launched towards a suspicious aerial target believed to have crossed from Lebanese territory.
The military said warning sirens sounded in northern Israel and that the results of the interception were under review. No injuries were reported.
