The United States attempt to deter Iran by attacking its tankers has failed miserably, with the Islamic Republic responding more strongly than before.
The ‘tanker war’ escalated on September 5, with U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announcing that it had struck three tankers allegedly linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The command said it struck the Downy off the coast of Kharg Island, the Stark 1 near Jask and the Kylo in the Gulf of Oman.
The response from the IRGC came later on the very same day. The IRGC said that it struck three tankers traveling along an “unauthorized route” in the Strait of Hormuz and three vessels linked to the U.S. in other areas.
Unfazed by U.S. escalation, Iranian army air defenses shot down an American “MQ-1” combat drone on September 8.
The IRGC later announced that its naval forces seized a submarine drone from the U.S. military in the Strait of Hormuz. The submarine was identified as the Dive-LD, a state-of-the-art large-diameter autonomous undersea vehicle developed by the American company Anduril.
Overnight into September 9, the U.S. escalated further. CENTCOM attacked five tankers linked to Iran. The command said that the tankers Kaviz, Charminar, Horizon 1 and Riesco were hit in the Gulf of Oman, and Derya was targeted near Kharg Island. It claimed that the strikes were carried out in response to a failed Iranian strike on a U.S. warship.
The IRGC said that it didn’t attack one warship, but two: the USS Delbert D. Black and the USS John Paul Jones, both guided-missile destroyers.
The Iranian response didn’t stop there. In addition to the U.S. warships, the Corps said its naval forces targeted a total of 18 vessels, including eight tankers.
In addition, the IRGC’s aerospace force carried out a massive missile strike against al-Azraq Air Base in Jordan, where American forces are deployed. The barrage targeted maintenance and repair hangars, aircraft preparation facilities and shelters housing F-35, F-16 and F-15 warplanes at the base.
On September 10, it was revealed that the strike on Jordan damaged nine U.S. warplanes: one A-10 and eight F-15s.
Despite the losses, the U.S. refrained from responding, possibly due to the fear of a more serious Iranian missile strike amid a shortage of interceptors.
The U.S. attempt to deter Iran by attacking its tankers has not only failed, but also arguably backfired. Currently, the administration of President Donald Trump seems incapable of inflicting a military defeat on Tehran, or even deterring it. Meanwhile, the Islamic Republic’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz is stronger than ever.
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