Iran condemns US attacks on oil tankers, calls for UN action over "grave violation" of security
Sep 09, 2026
Tehran [Iran], September 10 : Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday strongly condemned recent US military strikes targeting Iranian oil tankers, highlighting that Iranian armed forces launched retaliatory strikes against American vessels and military infrastructure in Jordan and calling for UN action over "grave violation" of security.
The Iranian Embassy in India shared the statement in a post on X, noting that the ministry denounced the strikes as an act of aggression against its maritime infrastructure.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran strongly condemns the aggressive attack carried out by the US terrorist military against several Iranian oil tankers on the evening of Tuesday, 8 September 2026," the statement read.
Iranian diplomats characterised the operations in regional waters as an expansion of long-standing economic and military measures directed at Tehran.
"Military aggression by the U.S. against Iranian commercial vessels in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman is considered a continuation of U.S. military aggression, naval blockade, and economic warfare against the Iranian nation, as well as a clear violation of the United Nations Charter and international law," the ministry stated.
Warning of broader stability risks, the statement added, "The aggressive actions of the U.S. against Iranian commercial vessels are not only a dangerous escalation of tension in the region, but also a clear threat against regional and international peace and security."
The ministry explicitly tied Iran's subsequent military actions in the region, including missile strikes targeting US positions in Jordan, to its right to self-defence.
"In response to the aggressive actions of the U.S. against Iranian oil tankers, the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, pursuant to their inherent right of self-defence, targeted legitimate military bases and facilities of the U.S. located in the country of Jordan, which continue to support U.S. military aggression against Iran, as well as several invading U.S. vessels in defensive strikes," the ministry asserted.
Reaffirming Tehran's military stance moving forward, the foreign ministry emphasised its willingness to respond to further operational moves.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran, emphasising its firm determination to defend the sovereignty and national interests of Iran against U.S. aggressive actions, stresses that the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will not hesitate to exercise their inherent right of legitimate self-defence and will decisively respond to any military aggression by the enemy as deemed necessary," the statement declared.
Concluding the statement, Tehran called upon international bodies to address the ongoing conflict in regional waters.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs once again reminds the UN Security Council and the Secretary-General of the United Nations of their responsibility for immediate action against grave violations of international peace and security caused by US aggressive actions against Iran," the statement concluded.
The statement comes as Iran launched retaliatory missile strikes targeting Jordan on Wednesday, hitting the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base used by American forces, following an earlier US military attack on Iranian vessels.
In an official statement reported by the state-backed IRNA news agency, Iran's Revolutionary Guards announced that they "struck the American Al-Azraq base in Jordan with heavy missile strikes" as part of a designated "punitive operation".
Shortly after the barrage, the Jordanian military announced that its air defence network intercepted and neutralised the incoming projectiles. According to an official army statement, Jordan's defence systems detected 20 incoming ballistic missiles, successfully destroying 18 of them, while two impacted unpopulated terrain.
The escalation follows actions by the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), which confirmed that American forces targeted five Iranian tankers connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on Tuesday. The action came in retaliation against repeated missile assaults directed at a US Navy warship over the preceding 48 hours.