Tanker Attacks Hit Hormuz as Trump Weighs ‘Big Decision’ on Iran
Two tankers struck in Hormuz
A second tanker was hit by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz early Friday, according to the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations center, hours after the British navy agency reported another vessel coming under attack in the strategic waterway.
UKMTO said a company security officer reported a tanker struck by an unknown projectile, causing a fire that was later extinguished. The crew was safe, but the environmental impact was unconfirmed. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed it struck a Togo-flagged ship making an “illegal crossing” of the strait. It was not immediately clear whether that claim was related to the UKMTO report.
The agency later said it had learned of another tanker struck Wednesday, Sept. 16, while transiting outbound from the strait. A separate attack was reported late Thursday on a vessel northeast of Khasab, Oman; the crew was reported safe, though the exact time and date were unclear.
Iran has pushed commercial ships to seek permission and use a regime-approved route before sailing through the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint that carries a significant share of the world's crude.
Trump signals possible escalation
President Trump said Thursday he is poised to make a “big decision” on whether to launch a major assault to “annihilate” the Iranian regime.
“I have a big decision coming up,” Trump told Axios. “Do I want to go in and annihilate them or do I not? It's a big decision. Anything could happen with me.”
His comments came ahead of a planned meeting with Persian Gulf leaders next week on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. Trump said he wanted to find out “where they are and how they are doing,” noting the U.S. has been “very protective” of Gulf states, many of which host American forces and were targeted by Iran in retaliation for the war launched jointly by the U.S. and Israel at the end of February. Asked whether he would also meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said, “I may.”
A U.N.-commissioned panel of human rights experts said Thursday there are “reasonable grounds” to believe two U.S. strikes on Iran early in the war constitute war crimes.
Yemen's war widens
Yemen's Houthis said Friday that Saudi Arabia had launched 26 strikes against areas under their control in the past 24 hours, bringing the number of Saudi strikes on their positions to 300 over the past week. The Iran-backed group said the attacks targeted areas across Houthi-held Yemen.
Fighting in southwestern Yemen has intensified as the Houthis pushed toward the Red Sea coast in a surprise campaign. Saudi forces have assisted Yemen's Riyadh-backed government in trying to retake ground. Saudi interests in Yemen are high: millions of barrels of oil exit through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the southern gateway to the Red Sea.
In Mokha, a strategic Red Sea port city seized by Houthi fighters last week, life has ground to a halt. Shops are closed, schools deserted and families confined to their homes.
“I haven't gone out to work for a week. If I do go out, it's only to go to the grocery shop out of necessity,” resident Mahmoud, 34, a bus driver, told AFP by phone. He spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
Large numbers of civilians have fled Mokha, a city that once played a key role in the coffee trade and gave its name to the drink. Shops that used to stay open in the evening now close much earlier.
“People are afraid. There is electricity, but at 8 p.m. the whole city is plunged into darkness,” Mahmoud said.
Refugees flee across Bab el-Mandeb
Thousands of people in Yemen are fleeing across the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to Djibouti as the war expands. Nearly 3,000 people, more than half of them women and children, have fled Yemen in less than a week, according to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. Thousands more are waiting to cross the narrow waterway that has become the center of fighting.
“At reception centers in Djibouti, new arrivals recount fearing for their lives in Yemen having fled sudden bombardment, shelling and gunfire,” UNHCR said. “Mothers quickly gathered their children and whatever they could carry before heading to the coast and boarding small boats.”
More than 100,000 people have already been internally displaced, according to UNICEF. UNHCR said it was preparing for an additional 10,000 people to make their way to Djibouti.
Fighting between the Houthis and government forces restarted in recent weeks after breaking a truce signed in April 2022. This round has centered on Houthi attacks on Saudi oil tankers exiting the Red Sea through Bab el-Mandeb, which the group has framed as solidarity with Iran's blockade on the Strait of Hormuz.
Oil chokepoints under pressure
The U.S. blockade on the Strait of Hormuz has redirected 105 commercial vessels heading into or out of Iranian ports, according to U.S. Central Command, an increase of one ship in the past 24 hours.
Separately, more than 30 million barrels of Iranian, or likely Iranian, crude has been kept in the Persian Gulf by the blockade. Another 60 million-plus barrels of Iranian oil, valued at nearly $9 billion, are on sanctioned vessels outside the Gulf avoiding the blockade. That oil is being unloaded, but at a much slower pace than normal.
Saudi exports through Bab el-Mandeb continue to suffer. Data shows weekly traffic since the start of August at under a third of this year's seven-day average. Maritime tracking firm Kpler said just five laden vessels carrying Saudi products have left the Red Sea via the vital route in the past seven days. That figure has not been higher since the week of July 24, when 11 laden vessels exited through the strait.
The Houthis say there is no threat to navigation in Bab el-Mandeb except for Saudi vessels, but any attacks in the waterway could make it less attractive to shippers. Kpler data suggests commodity tanker traffic through the strait over the past seven days was lower than usual but had not stopped.
Israel presses south Lebanon
Israel's military moved forward Friday in a south Lebanon village, facing off against a Lebanese army position after deploying tanks and detonating stun grenades, according to an AFP photographer and other media in the area.
Israel has occupied a swath of southern Lebanon since war broke out in March against the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah. The Lebanese army is supposed to gradually take control of the area under a framework agreement between the two countries moderated by the U.S. Under the deal, Hezbollah is meant to disarm and Israel to withdraw, but progress has been slow. Israel has warned it will stay put as long as its foe remains a threat.
In Deir Mimas, on the edge of territory occupied by Israel, two Israeli tanks advanced along a road toward the village before stopping in front of an earth barricade, beyond which Lebanese army vehicles were stationed. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said an Israeli force advanced to a junction near a recently established Lebanese army position and launched six stun grenades. The Lebanese army later withdrew about 100 meters but remained in a position facing the Israeli tanks, according to the AFP photographer.
Energy markets rattle
President Emmanuel Macron said Friday that France would convene a G7 meeting dedicated to energy in the coming weeks as fuel prices soar amid the U.S.-Iran war.
“In the coming weeks, we will have a G7 meeting devoted to these energy issues, both to strengthen cooperation and to avoid unnecessary tensions between the G7 countries and our main partners,” Macron said. “It will also be an opportunity to consider options for a possible release or unlocking of strategic reserves.”
Oil prices have fallen several percentage points this week on hopes that Saudi Arabia was moving to restore about half of crude shipments within days after they were disrupted by drone strikes on its East-West pipeline to the Red Sea. But international benchmark Brent crude continued to hover around $104 a barrel Friday, up from $88 exactly three weeks ago.
Global stock markets diverged and oil prices wobbled Friday, nearing the end of a week dominated by central bank moves to tame inflation driven by the Iran war. Wall Street opened mixed, European markets fell and Asian equities were lifted by renewed AI optimism.
The Bank of Japan raised interest rates to a three-decade high Friday, but the yen sank against the dollar on fears the pace of hikes might be slower than expected. Japan's move came after the U.S. Federal Reserve lifted borrowing costs Wednesday, providing relief to traders concerned policymakers were not moving quickly enough to address inflation. The European Central Bank has also recently tightened policy, while the Bank of England held its benchmark rate this week but signaled possible hikes ahead.
Oil prices fell around 2% on hopes Saudi Arabia would restore about half of crude shipments within days after its East-West pipeline was shut, before paring losses. The conduit, even more important since the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran, was shut last week after being targeted by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis. Crude prices, which soared around 20% in September, have fallen over the past three days, but Brent remains over $100 a barrel.
The European Union's top diplomat condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia as “unacceptable” Friday. In a post on X, Kaja Kallas, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, wrote, “Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia are unacceptable and sabotage the global economy.” She added that passage through the Strait of Hormuz “must be unimpeded and toll-free.”
Her comments came after weeks of turmoil in Yemen, especially along the western Red Sea coast, where the Houthis have taken key strategic territory from the Saudi-backed Yemeni government. The Saudis accused Houthi forces of targeting the holy city of Mecca on Wednesday, which the group swiftly denied.
Saudi Arabia's state oil company, Aramco, has told at least two oil refining customers in Europe they won't sell them any crude oil next month, Bloomberg reported Friday. Customers in Europe normally receive Aramco crude on contracts, but were informed there would be no supply coming in October after a key Saudi pipeline to the Red Sea was attacked last week. The decision applies to all European customers, sources told Bloomberg.
The kingdom paused the flow of crude oil through its East-West pipeline last week after it was struck by attack drones. The pipeline, which allows Saudi oil to avoid the Strait of Hormuz, remains offline, though U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said this week it would be reopened “relatively soon.” The Economic Times reported Friday that Saudi Arabia will also not send crude oil to India until further notice because of the attack.
China, Israel and the weapons race
Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin is urging President Trump to press Chinese President Xi Jinping on evidence that Iranians used satellite images from Chinese entities to carry out the July attack on a military base in Jordan that killed three U.S. service members and wounded four others.
In a letter sent to the president Friday and obtained by CBS News, the Michigan senator urged Trump to make the issue “a centerpiece of your talks with President Xi” during his White House visit next week. Trump has spoken deferentially of Xi during the war with Iran, despite questions about possible Chinese assistance to Tehran. Last week, The Wall Street Journal, citing U.S. officials, reported Tehran had acquired images of the base from the Chinese.
Israel will seek additional weapons and weapons systems from the United States following Washington's decision to sell 48 F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, according to Israeli news site Walla. An Israeli official told the outlet Israel will seek weapons not previously approved for sale, including bunker-busting missiles.
Despite the Saudi deal, Israeli officials said Israel would retain a clear operational advantage over the Middle East's skies. The Saudi deal will cost $24.3 billion, according to the U.S. State Department. Walla reported the Israeli army would prefer no other Middle Eastern country to acquire the stealth fighter, while noting Saudi Arabia would not receive its first aircraft for at least five years if the deal is signed soon.
Sanctions, rewards and diplomacy
Russia and China vetoed a United Nations resolution Thursday that would have authorized U.N. experts to keep monitoring sanctions reimposed against Iran last year over its nuclear program. The U.N. Security Council sanctions remain in effect, freezing Iran's assets abroad, halting arms deals with Tehran and penalizing development of Iran's ballistic missile program, among other measures.
Using a provision in the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and France, Germany and the United Kingdom triggered the “snapback” mechanism, which reimposed the sanctions on Sept. 27, 2025. It restored the Security Council sanctions committee and authorized a panel of U.N. experts to monitor implementation. The United States had drafted a resolution to extend the expert panel's mandate for a year. The proposal was defeated 11-2, with Somalia and Pakistan abstaining, because of the Russian and Chinese vetoes.
The vote comes as the Trump administration pursues a wider campaign to isolate Tehran from its remaining economic partners as the more than six-month-old war in Iran has hit a stalemate.
The administration has approved visas for top Iranian officials, including the president and foreign minister, to attend next week's U.N. General Assembly high-level meeting in New York even as the two countries remain locked in a stalemated war.
The State Department said Thursday it had approved visas for Iran's “core delegation,” along with essential staff, to participate in the U.N. meetings. The core delegation includes President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, according to U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because of visa privacy laws.
“Consistent with our host country obligations, the core delegation from the Iranian regime will be able to attend UN General Assembly High Level week. The delegation will be under travel restrictions and will face prohibitions on the purchase of luxury and other goods per our policy. The delegation is smaller than last year,” the statement said.
The move is unusual given the more than six-month-long conflict and no sign that agreements to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or return to talks on Iran's nuclear program are close.
The U.S. State Department is offering a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to the disruption of the financial mechanisms of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its branches, including the elite Quds Force. The Rewards for Justice program said it is seeking information on the IRGC's sources of revenue and financial facilitation networks, including illicit oil-for-money schemes, front companies, sanctions-evasion networks, financial institutions and exchange houses facilitating IRGC transactions, and businesses or investments owned or controlled by the organization or its financiers.
The program is also seeking information on how the IRGC transfers funds and materials to its terrorist and militia proxies and partners, as well as individuals or entities involved in financing or facilitating its activities. The State Department says the Quds Force plays a leading role among Iran's actors in directing and carrying out what it describes as Iran's global terrorist campaign through proxy groups including Hamas, Hezbollah and multiple militia groups in Iraq.
The IRGC was designated by the United States as a foreign terrorist organization in April 2019. The State Department says the organization has been involved in terrorist plots and supported attacks against U.S. and allied personnel and diplomatic missions, while the Quds Force has planned activities in countries including Bahrain, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Germany, Kenya, Turkey and the United States.
Pakistan will go “to any extent” to defend Saudi Arabia against attack, military spokesman Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said Thursday, as Houthi attacks put pressure on new collective defense arrangements between the two countries.
“Pakistan fully stands with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, both diplomatically and physically,” Chaudhry told Saudi state-backed Arab News. “We will go to any extent.” He said Pakistan's commitment included protecting Saudi Arabia and Islam's two holiest sites in Mecca and Medina, adding, “We are there and we will continue to defend Kingdom of Saudi Arabia against any aggression.” Chaudhry also described Pakistan's commitment to Saudi security as “unconditional.”
His comments came just over a month after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, while Islamabad and Riyadh have also maintained a bilateral defense pact. The spokesman did not disclose whether Saudi Arabia had requested additional Pakistani troops or air-defense systems, and the full operational provisions of the defense agreements have not been made public.
Iran rallies as pressure mounts
Hundreds of thousands of Iranians rallied Friday in a government-choreographed display of national unity and resistance after months of war, pledging readiness to take up arms in the biggest such demonstration since the United States and Israel attacked in February.
Iran staged a large-scale nationwide mobilization involving participants from military and civilian groups as the country faces mounting economic and social pressure from the war, and the threat of a major new offensive by President Trump. Estimates vary of the number of people who have pledged to receive limited military training and defend the country in an effort described as “Janfaday-e Iran,” or the “ones who sacrifice their lives for Iran.”
Islamic Revolutionary Guard commander Gen. Hassan Hassanzadeh told state broadcaster IRNA that more than 600,000 people had registered to participate, with over 1 million expected to eventually take part in the training. IRNA estimated more than 300,000 people had taken to the streets Friday. Some participants trampled flags of the U.S. and Israel. Others chanted “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.” State media have encouraged Iranians to join the campaign for weeks, saying training with assault rifles will begin soon.
Saudi F-35 deal and drone losses
Saudi Arabia will be getting a major upgrade to its air force with the purchase of 48 F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter aircraft from the United States, according to the U.S. State Department. The jets will cost the Saudis about $24.3 billion, according to the State Department. The fighter jets are built by Lockheed Martin and are in common use by many U.S. allies, including the U.K., Italy, the Netherlands, Australia and Canada.
The jets will be of the F-35A variety, which means conventional takeoff as opposed to the F-35B, which can take off vertically. “The proposed sale will improve Saudi Arabia's capability to deter current and future threats by strengthening its homeland defense, and improving interoperability with U.S. forces, and other regional and NATO forces,” the State Department said.
The F-35 Lightning II is one of the most common stealth fighters in the U.S. arsenal, with hundreds being used across the Air Force, Marines and Navy. There was a record 191 F-35 fighters delivered to the U.S. in 2025, according to Lockheed Martin.
Iranian forces in recent days have brought down at least two American MQ-1 unmanned aircraft, according to U.S. officials familiar with the matter who spoke to CBS News on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. It is unclear where in the region the remotely piloted aircraft were brought down or which MQ-1 variant was involved.
The U.S. military has fielded two principal MQ-1 variants: the Predator, which became a fixture of U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan before the Air Force retired it in 2018, and the Gray Eagle, a larger Predator-derived aircraft still operated by the Army, including its special operations forces. Both were designed for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions but can also carry Hellfire missiles for striking targets. In the Strait of Hormuz, these unmanned aircraft can provide U.S. forces with persistent surveillance over the narrow waterway while also tracking Iranian military activity and monitoring threats to both American forces and commercial shipping.