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US Stops Iranian Tankers; IRGC Vows Base Retaliation, Allies Mobilize

5/11/2026

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Summary

Story summary

After U.S. forces disabled two Iranian-flagged tankers breaching the Gulf of Oman blockade, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned an attack on its tankers would trigger an assault on U.S. bases.
Iranian lawmakers are drafting a law to control the Strait of Hormuz and ban vessels from hostile states.
Britain and France are planning a joint mission to protect commercial ships while the UK deploys HMS Dragon to the area.

History

Historical Context

The Iran-Iraq ‘Tanker War’ erupted in 1984 when Iran began striking Kuwaiti tankers carrying Iraqi oil, prompting Kuwait to ask the United States for protection. From July 1987 to September 1988 the U.S. executed Operation Earnest Will, re-flagging Kuwaiti ships and deploying 11 warships at a cost of about $1.6 billion. That precedent of U.S. convoy escorts underlies today’s disabling of two Iranian-flagged tankers in the Gulf of Oman.

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Story summary

After U.S. forces disabled two Iranian-flagged tankers breaching the Gulf of Oman blockade, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned an attack on its tankers would trigger an assault on U.S. bases.
Iranian lawmakers are drafting a law to control the Strait of Hormuz and ban vessels from hostile states.
Britain and France are planning a joint mission to protect commercial ships while the UK deploys HMS Dragon to the area.

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