STRAIT OF HORMUZ — Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed Thursday, Sept. 10–11, 2026, that its navy struck a U.S. Saildrone Explorer unmanned surface vessel at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, Anadolu Agency and CGTN reported, citing the IRGC’s Sepah News outlet. Separately, the UK Maritime Trade Operations center said four unknown projectiles hit two vessels about four nautical miles west of Khasab, Oman — setting one on fire — in a third-party report timestamped 1910 GMT Thursday, according to UKMTO Warning 133-26 as carried by Anadolu and Ship & Bunker.

The IRGC identified the targeted craft as a Saildrone Explorer-type USV (Anadolu also rendered the name “Sildrone”) with hull number 5838, alleging an “aggressive mission.” It did not detail the weapon used, the timing, or confirmed damage. Tasnim published images it said showed a Saildrone on fire, Iran International reported via Ship & Bunker. There was no immediate U.S. military confirmation of the claim, Anadolu and Ship & Bunker noted.

Khasab hits and a tightening choke point

UKMTO said the master of a third ship reported seeing four unknown projectiles strike the two unidentified vessels about six nautical miles north of his position. Authorities were investigating; vessel names, types, and casualty information were not released. UKMTO advised ships to transit with caution and report suspicious activity. Khasab sits on Oman’s Musandam peninsula at the southern side of the strait’s narrowest waters — the same approaches where maritime security sources have logged repeated attacks since late August.

CGTN, citing CENTCOM, said U.S. forces had redirected 96 commercial vessels under the naval blockade of Iran as of Sept. 10 and allowed more than 50 humanitarian-support passages. Preliminary ship-tracking data cited by CGTN put Hormuz transits at seven vessels Thursday, below a 10-day average near 15. Brent settled around $107.63 and WTI around $102.48 on Thursday after a roughly 6% jump, CGTN reported — the highest levels since May amid attrition attacks on tankers in the seventh month of the Iran war.

The IRGC again asserted that the Strait of Hormuz remains closed under its “intelligence surveillance and smart control,” warning that “any hostile movement will be targeted” (Anadolu) / “any hostile presence in the strategic waterway will be targeted” (CGTN/Sepah News). Washington and Tehran have traded claims over unmanned craft, tanker strikes, and failed attacks on warships all week. Claims from either combatant that are not independently confirmed should be read as claims.

Choke points don’t care about press releases. When unmanned surveillance boats and merchant hulls both take fire at the same mouth of the Gulf, insurance rates and crude prices do the talking — and governments keep writing the script.

Sources