Iran tests Trump with Gulf strikes as US touts Hormuz oil surge and battered carrier raises alarms

The reported incident of a supertanker striking two mines in the Strait of Hormuz, as claimed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has unraveled. By midday on Monday, August 31, 2026, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) debunked the claim, stating no ship had struck a mine in the Strait. Iran's IRGC did not provide any verifiable evidence, merely alleging the attack shortly after US forces targeted Iranian mine-laying capabilities near Larak and surrounding areas.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) suggested Iran might be trying to restore control over Hormuz by deploying mines and raising concerns about the safety of the route. The repeated Iranian claims about tanker mine strikes were likely meant to make the southern route appear hazardous. Despite the crumbling evidence of Iran's control over the Strait, the Iranian regime continues to exert its influence, launching attacks against US-linked facilities in Jordan, Bahrain, Iraq, and Kuwait.