Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned on Tuesday that the United States “will regret its new attacks” after American forces began striking its targets in Iran. “A harsh punishment awaits the aggressors,” IRGC spokesman Sardar Mohebi said, according to Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency. Mohebi’s remarks came shortly after the US Central Command announced that American forces had begun striking IRGC targets in Iran. IRGC spokesman Brigadier General Hossein Mohebbi: A harsh punishment awaits the aggressors, and America will regret its new attacks. Follow: https://t.co/boCY50qN7H pic.twitter.com/0byId87wfc — Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) September 1, 2026 A statement from Iran's General Staff of the Armed Forces and Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters stated that, in response to the US military’s aerial aggression against areas in Sistan and Baluchestan and Hormozgan, the Iranian military would deliver "crushing and crippling blows" to the "cowardly and malicious American enemy".  1/3 "We will impose a heavy cost on the American enemy." Iran’s General Staff of the Armed Forces and Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters stated that, in response to the US military’s aerial aggression against areas in Sistan and Baluchestan and Hormozgan, pic.twitter.com/uGcmdHsjmT — Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) September 1, 2026 The statement noted that the longer the "terrorist US Army" persisted in its acts of aggression in the region, the greater and heavier the losses it would have to bear. "We have repeatedly declared and remain determined that, under no circumstances, will we back down from the rights of the heroic Iranian nation, and we will impose heavy costs on the American enemy." 3/3 the greater and heavier the losses it will have to bear. "We have repeatedly declared and remain determined that, under no circumstances, will we back down from the rights of the heroic Iranian nation, and we will impose heavy costs on the American enemy." — Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) September 1, 2026 Shortly before, US President Donald Trump said that American forces were striking Iranian targets near the Strait of Hormuz, warning Tehran against retaliation. “The United States is, as we speak, striking Iranian Targets near the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. Trump described the strikes as “large and powerful” and said they were retaliation for what he called Iran’s “failed attempt” to plant sea mines in the strait. He also cited an Iranian missile attack on a US base in Jordan, saying Iran had fired eight missiles and that they were “all successfully knocked down.” Trump warned that any Iranian retaliation would prompt a heavier US response. “If the failed nation of Iran retaliates for this very justified attack, they will be hit again at a much harder and higher level,” he said. Trump added that a larger attack was “waiting in the wings” and claimed it would leave “very little” of Iran. pic.twitter.com/vlmC2BW2KH — Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 1, 2026 The post followed the ‌United States military saying that it had begun striking IRGC targets in ⁠Iran at 1600 ​GMT. "The ​strikes follow recent attempted attacks by the ​IRGC against commercial ​shipping in the Strait ‌of ⁠Hormuz and against American service members deployed to the ​region," ​the ⁠US military's Central Command ​said in a ​statement ⁠on X. Today at 12 p.m. ET, U.S. forces began striking Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targets in Iran. The strikes follow recent attempted attacks by the IRGC against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and against American service members deployed to the region. — U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) September 1, 2026 Several explosions were heard east of Iran’s southern port city of Bandar Abbas in Hormozgan province on Tuesday, state media IRIB reported. More than five explosions were heard around Masan village on Qeshm Island, IRIB said, adding that four more explosions were also heard from the direction of the Strait of Hormuz on Qeshm. Citing the deputy governor of the Hormozgan province for political, security and social affairs, the outlet added that no casualties had been recorded in the province so far. US Treasury chief claims Strait of Hormuz will be ‘worthless piece of water’ in two years US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Tuesday that the Strait of Hormuz would become obsolete within two years as alternative oil routes would bypass the strategic waterway. “We have to de-risk everywhere in the world. We can see the Iranians are trying to use the Strait of Hormuz as a choke point,” Bessent said during an interview in Asheville, North Carolina. “It’s not a choke point for the US, but it is a choke point for many, many other countries,” he said on the sidelines of meetings with G20 countries’ ministers. Bessent claimed the strategic waterway “will be bypassed in two years.” “In two years, the Strait of Hormuz will be like a worthless piece of water,” he said. “The oil will be going on pipelines across land,” he added. Bessent said that Tehran currently does not have “access to hard currency, inflation is through the roof, they're having to print money at the central bank to try to pay government employees, to pay troops.” On further sanctions against Iran, Bessent said: “We are probably going to announce a bank sanction this week, and we will announce one the week after.” He said that Washington is in contact with its allies and said: “We have seen great support around the world, and we have zero tolerance. We are going to economically asphyxiate this regime.” "We are going to go after the regime's ill-gotten assets that they have stolen from the Iranian people," he said, pledging to transfer the assets to the Iranian people, victims of terror, or families of US soldiers. "But we will stop this regime's ability to have a nuclear weapon, to have their current highly enriched uranium, to project terrorist power through their proxy networks, and to terrorise the Gulf," he said, adding that “we're telling people either you are with us or against us.” .@SecScottBessent: "We have zero tolerance. We are going to economically asphyxiate this regime." "My job is to make sure that they want to have a deal, and they will want to have one." pic.twitter.com/47jKGqsofj — Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 1, 2026 Chabahar, Konarak reportedly hit by four projectiles The deputy governor of Iran’s Sistan-Baluchistan province on Tuesday reported the impact of four projectiles in the Chabahar and Konarak areas, according to the Fars News Agency. 🔴 معاون امنیتی و انتظامی استاندار سیستان و بلوچستان از اصابت چهار پرتابه در شهرستان‌های چابهار و کنارک خبر داد. https://t.co/q7Urvml9CL — خبرگزاری فارس (@FarsNews_Agency) September 1, 2026 US warns citizens in Middle East of flight cancellations, airspace closures over escalation risk The US Embassy in Israel on Tuesday warned Americans in the Middle East of possible flight cancellations, airspace closures and travel disruptions amid the risk of further escalation. “Due to tensions in the Middle East, the security environment remains complex with the potential for unforeseen escalation,” the embassy said in an advisory. “US diplomatic facilities, including outside the Middle East, have been targeted,” it said. “Iran and groups supportive of Iran may target other US interests overseas or at locations associated with the United States and Americans throughout the world, including US businesses and other institutions,” it added. The embassy also urged US citizens travelling to or from the region to stay informed about airport and airline operations. NEW: U.S. Embassy Jerusalem issued a security alert. Americans in the Middle East should "exercise heightened vigilance" due to potential escalation, flight cancellations, and airspace closures. Iran and allied groups "may target U.S. interests overseas." Not an evacuation… pic.twitter.com/l0G6ic4Mtw — Clash Report (@clashreport) September 1, 2026 Iran says US mistakes negotiations for dictation, warns approach will not work Iran on Tuesday accused the US of mistaking negotiations for dictation, saying such an approach would not work with Tehran, as tensions between the two countries remained high. “The Americans have mistaken the concept of negotiation for dictation, something that will definitely not work with Iran,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told a news conference. Baghaei accused Washington of acting in “bad faith” and being confused over its approach toward Iran, arguing that the US had become trapped in what he described as a strategic mistake. “As long as they act in this manner, they will certainly achieve no result other than what they have obtained so far,” he said. اسماعیل بقایی، سخنگوی وزارت خارجه جمهوری اسلامی، با انتقاد از رویکرد آمریکا در مذاکرات گفت: «آمریکا مفهوم مذاکرات را با دیکته‌کردن اشتباه گرفته.» او گفت: «نیروهای مسلح ما هیچ تعرضی را بی‌پاسخ نخواهند گذاشت.» pic.twitter.com/JwP1ekPIhN — ايران اينترنشنال (@IranIntl) September 1, 2026 Referring to a recent US attack on Iran’s Kharg Island, Baghaei said Washington had repeatedly carried out what Tehran considers acts of aggression and warned that Iranian forces would respond to any further attack. He also accused the US of violating the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, saying the agreement had been signed at the highest level by US President Donald Trump. “The signature of the US president was on the Islamabad memorandum of understanding,” Baghaei said, adding that Washington had accepted commitments under the agreement but decided to violate them around three weeks after it was signed. He said Tehran would decide how to proceed with the agreement based on developments, while accusing Washington of continuing sanctions and its naval blockade and intensifying what he called an “economic war” against Iran. Baghaei, however, said Iran would continue to use diplomacy whenever necessary to protect its national interests. “We will certainly, taking all aspects into consideration, use the capabilities and tools of diplomacy wherever necessary, both to explain our positions and to secure and uphold the rights of the Iranian people,” he said. He also said Iran remained in routine contact with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), but denied that any new negotiations were underway between Tehran and the UN nuclear watchdog. “Our mission to the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna holds discussions with the relevant parties at the agency whenever necessary,” he said. “But if by negotiations you mean a new development between Iran and the agency, there is no such thing.” Iran's FM Spox. Esmail Baghaei on the US: They are accustomed to making excessive demands and have mistaken negotiation for dictating terms. pic.twitter.com/LRoQtRuLzb — Clash Report (@clashreport) September 1, 2026 Baghaei reiterated Tehran’s position that there was no nuclear activity at the Kuh-e Kolang (Pickaxe Mountain) site, after IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi recently said there was no solid evidence supporting allegations about nuclear activities at the location. The spokesman also criticised what he called contradictory and politically motivated statements by IAEA officials, urging the agency to act in accordance with its mandate and avoid issues influenced by the political positions of member states. Baghaei said Grossi’s latest remarks were consistent with Tehran’s longstanding position that no nuclear activity was taking place at the site. Two tankers carrying Saudi oil attacked in Strait of Hormuz Two supertankers carrying Saudi oil were struck by unknown projectiles within minutes of each other while transiting outbound through the Strait of Hormuz late on Monday, according to shipping intelligence and tracking firms Marisks and Kpler. "The near-simultaneous incidents represent a further escalation in the threat environment within the Omani corridor," Marisks said. The tankers each loaded 2 million barrels of Saudi crude at the Juaymah terminal last week, Kpler data showed. Saudi Aramco resumed oil loadings and sales from inside the strait in August. Iranian and US blockades of the Strait of Hormuz have sharply curbed energy exports from the Gulf as both sides tried to assert their authority over the waterway. Efforts by mediators including Qatar and Oman to broker a deal to reopen the strait, which carried about a fifth of global oil supplies before the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran more than six months ago, have so far proven inconclusive. Oil prices gained on Tuesday after US President Donald Trump threatened further strikes against Iran, following the first exchanges of fire since late July. In the latest attacks on shipping, the Saudi Arabian-flagged very large crude carrier Sidr was struck by unknown projectiles about 16.6 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman at about 12:52am PKT, Marisks said. Minutes later, the Liberian-flagged VLCC Senegal Prosperity was reportedly struck by three unknown projectiles approximately 17 nautical miles east of Khasab, Marisks said. All crew aboard were reported safe, it added. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency reported three projectiles striking a tanker in the same location as it sailed out of the Strait of Hormuz, in what appeared to be the same incident. Bahri, operator of Sidr, and Sinokor, operator of Senegal Prosperity, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Earlier on Tuesday, Iranian media reported that a Saudi oil tanker was stopped while transiting through the southern corridor of the Strait of Hormuz. EU’s Kallas says Hormuz diplomatic efforts have produced ‘no results’ EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Tuesday that diplomatic efforts over the Strait of Hormuz are continuing but have so far failed to produce a breakthrough, Al Jazeera reported. “The freedom of navigation needs to be respected. The diplomatic efforts are still ongoing, but no results at the moment,” Kallas said ahead of an informal meeting of EU defence ministers in Wicklow, Ireland. “For us it is important that there are no tolls, no fees for these routes that have been open before.” Kallas said ministers would also discuss a possible European mission to support the Lebanese armed forces. If US returns to MoU commitments, Iran will immediately reciprocate: Pezeshkian Iran will immediately reciprocate if the US returns to its commitments under an interim deal signed in June, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Tuesday, the Iranian Student News Agency reported. He made his comments at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Bishkek after the first exchange of direct attacks in the US-Iran conflict since late July, with the US striking Larak Island and Iran then launching attacks on two US air bases in Jordan. “I am stating clearly that if the US returns to its commitments under the Memorandum of Understanding, the Islamic Republic of Iran will immediately reciprocate," Pezeshkian was quoted as saying by state media. He was referring to an interim deal signed in June between Tehran and Washington in efforts to end the war, which started with US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. The deal quickly unravelled amid disagreements over its implementation. Tehran has repeatedly said it will allow free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for global oil supplies, only if Washington implements the terms of the agreement. Tehran has enough foreign currency, Iran central bank chief tells Trump Iran has sufficient foreign currency despite intensified US sanctions and economic pressure, Central Bank Governor Abdolnasser Hemmati said on Tuesday. Hemmati said: “I am telling the president of the United States:Iran has foreign currency, and it has enough.” Speaking at a conference in Tehran, Hemmati said the central bank was ready to inject $2 billion into the foreign exchange market, according to the semi-official Tasnim News Agency. Rejecting US claims of an economic collapse, he said Iran continues to collect foreign currency revenues and receivables and has domestic reserves and other resources whose details he said cannot be disclosed. Hemmati said Iran’s economic system continues to function despite new sanctions, while attributing the rial’s recent depreciation largely to what he called psychological factors. He rejected suggestions that Iran had entered hyperinflation, saying the likelihood remains low despite high inflation and extensive economic pressure. Hemmati acknowledged that unemployment had risen due to the war and damage to some infrastructure, adding that small and medium-sized businesses would be prioritised for financing in the second half of the Iranian year. The remarks came as the Iranian rial faces renewed pressure against the US dollar amid intensified US sanctions and the economic repercussions of the US-Israeli war. Read: US to respond to Iranian attacks on forces in Middle East: Trump “Do not test” the resolve of Iran’s armed forces again, the statement added. US weighs limited strikes on Iran to curb missile, radar rebuild in Hormuz: report The US is weighing limited military strikes in the Strait of Hormuz to stop Iran from rebuilding radar and missile systems used to threaten shipping, Axios reported on Monday. Citing three American officials, Axios reported that US Central Command drafted the plan over the past week and that Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth backed it. The plan had not received presidential approval before this weekend's exchange of fire with Iran, but officials said that could change following the latest escalation, according to the report. One official said the objective was to reduce the risk of Iranian attacks on oil tankers, US Navy ships and Air Force aircraft, describing the approach as an effort "to mow the lawn." "The President retains all options at his disposal. The Iranians want to make a deal, but they are always a day late and a dollar short," a White House official told Axios. Officials cited a recent incident in which an Iranian anti-aircraft missile was fired toward a US F-35 escorting ships in the strait as raising concerns over Iran's military capacity. Read more: Iran war depletes US military stockpiles, limiting global deterrence: report They said Sunday's Iranian missile attacks on US bases in Jordan, following a US strike on Iranian troops, could affect US President Donald Trump's decision. Trump, meanwhile, told Fox News that the US would "hit them hard" in response. 3 projectiles struck tanker exiting Strait of Hormuz off Oman: UK maritime agency The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said early on Tuesday that a tanker had been struck by three unknown projectiles while exiting the Strait of Hormuz off Oman. The incident took place 17 nautical miles (31 kilometers/20 miles) east of Khasab as the vessel was completing an outbound transit of the strait, the UKMTO said. No casualties or environmental impact were reported. Authorities are investigating the incident, while the UKMTO advised vessels in the area to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity. Iran says EU ‘surrendering sovereignty’ by backing US sanctions Iran accused the European Union early Tuesday of abandoning its legal and political independence by siding with Washington on sanctions against Tehran. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the bloc appears to be “surrendering its sovereignty, its laws and regulations, its values, and its ethics to American coercion.” Writing on US social media platform X, Baghaei pointed to the EU’s own Blocking Statute, which seeks to protect European businesses from the extraterritorial application of certain foreign sanctions. He questioned how Brussels could back uni