A second tanker is struck in Hormuz as the US blockade turns back more than a hundred ships
Two vessels were attacked in the strait on Friday while Central Command said it had redirected 105 commercial ships since the naval blockade began.
Assembled by Claude from 9 sources at 9 outlets · Friday, September 18, 2026, Evening edition, 5:16 PM EDT · no human byline
What happened
A second commercial tanker was struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz early on Friday, hours after another vessel came under attack tampafp.com. A United Kingdom navy agency confirmed that a tanker had been hit by a projectile in the strait winknews.com. Broadcasters covering the war reported two ships attacked over the course of the day cbsnews.com.
The naval response has become a running tally. US Central Command said it has redirected 105 commercial vessels since Washington began enforcing a naval blockade of Iran middleeasteye.net. A second account of the same statement put the figure at 105 ships turned back and named the USS Boxer among the vessels involved shafaq.com. The count had stood lower a day earlier: Central Command said on Thursday that 104 commercial vessels had been redirected bastillepost.com, a figure reported as covering the period to 17 September ground.news. On Friday, Central Command escorted 40 tankers through the strait without incident, and Brent crude fell for a third day easternherald.com.
Why it matters to investors
The two figures sit alongside each other rather than cancelling out. Convoying is now the mechanism that moves cargo through the strait, and the blockade is the mechanism that stops it, with escorted transits and redirected ships counted separately by the same command easternherald.commiddleeasteye.net.
Prices have not followed the attacks in a straight line. Brent fell for a third consecutive session even as a second tanker was hit, with the escorted convoy cited as the offsetting factor easternherald.comtampafp.com. Iranian authorities have said vessels need permission to cross the strait, a claim that runs against the blockade being enforced on the other side shafaq.com.
What to watch
Washington says the next step is undecided. Trump told Axios that he is approaching a critical juncture over whether to restart large-scale attacks, saying: "I have a big decision coming up. Do I want to go in and annihilate them or do I not?" axios.com. He repeated the word in comments on Friday as the strait came under attack again winknews.com.
The diplomacy is scheduled before any decision. Trump is due to meet leaders from six Gulf countries, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman, on Tuesday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, a meeting Axios reported could shape the next phase of the war axios.com. Separately, the sanctions architecture continues to widen, with measures aimed at the Revolutionary Guard and its branches, including the Quds Force cbsnews.com.
Sources
- tampafp.com: Tankers Hit In Hormuz As Middle East Conflict Expands Across Yemen And Red Sea (2026-09-18)
- winknews.com: 2 ships attacked in Strait of Hormuz as Trump says next move could be to "annihilate" regime | News (2026-09-18)
- cbsnews.com: Iran War Updates: 2 ships attacked in Strait of Hormuz as Trump says next move could be to ... (2026-09-18)
- middleeasteye.net: US redirects 105 vessels under Iran blockade - Middle East Eye (2026-09-18)
- shafaq.com: Shafaq News..US blockade on Iran turns back 105 ships (2026-09-18)
- bastillepost.com: CENTCOM says 104 commercial vessels redirected to comply with Iran blockade - 巴士的報 (2026-09-18)
- ground.news: Shafaq News.. CENTCOM : 104 Vessels Redirected Under Iran Blockade (2026-09-18)
- easternherald.com: Brent Falls for Third Day as US Navy Escorts Record Oil Convoy Through Hormuz (2026-09-18)
- axios.com: Trump tells Axios he's approaching major crossroads in Iran war (2026-09-17)