Iran war: US, Tehran trade fire in new flare-up

On Tuesday, September 1 and Wednesday, September 2, 2026, escalating tensions between the United States and Iran led to a series of retaliatory attacks in the Middle East. The United States launched an airstrike against a wedding celebration in Kuwait, resulting in four deaths and numerous injuries. Iran swiftly responded with a retaliatory drone attack against Kuwait and Bahrain, but both nations were successful in intercepting the incoming drones.

In response to the US naval blockade of Iranian ports and combat operations in the Middle East, the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier docked at the port of Laem Chabang in eastern Thailand. The massive nuclear-powered vessel, which had been at sea for 286 days, was involved in various operations during its deployment. The US military provided sailors and Marines with an opportunity to rest and recharge during the five-day stop, though the base in Pattaya, Thailand was under scrutiny due to its reputation as a hub for sex tourism.

Two oil tankers were struck by mines in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reported. The IRGC claimed that the tankers, ordered by the US military to transit through an illegal route, struck the mines and subsequently exploded. Two sailors were killed on the Bahri oil tanker Sidr when it was attacked in the strait on August 31.

The Strait of Hormuz is a crucial waterway for the transport of oil and gas, and Iranian attacks on ships have halted traffic through it since the war began in February.

Pakistan expressed optimism about the possibility of resuming talks between the US and Iran to end the conflict, as Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during the SCO meeting in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Meanwhile, separate US attacks in southwestern Iran killed 11 people and injured dozens more, including a child in a wedding party in Kuhestak, Iran.

Iran's Foreign Ministry blamed the US for the cruelty of these atrocities, citing previous strikes that included a girls' school bombing in Minab that killed 160 people.

Six months into the Iran war, US military leaders are concerned about stretched forces and depleted weapons stockpiles, questioning the US's ability to continue fighting.