The Iranian navy says that an oil tanker has caught fire and became immobilised in the Gulf of Oman.

The navy said that other countries “should coordinate with the [Iranian] armed forces to ensure safe passage,” according to a statement reported by state broadcaster IRIB on Saturday.

“We maintain full control and intelligence oversight over the area east of the Strait of Hormuz, the Arabian Sea, and the Gulf of Oman,” the statement added.

Earlier, the navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps reported two supertankers had been hit by naval mines on Saturday. In addition, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported two strikes on tankers attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz on Friday.

Source: Al-Jazeera (15:05 GMT)

• Red arrows: Latest hits
• Flames: Refinery has been hit at least once. Flames do not indicate the severity of the attacks or if a refinery is till burning
• Blue waves: Orsk dam broke in April 2024, which flooded the refinery and took it offline for ~2 weeks.
• Black smoke: It's raining oil.

Chronological list: (sorted newest to oldest)

October: 5 hits

• ^{NEW HIT} 16.10.2026 Ryazan in Ryazan Oblast at 480km
• 09.10.2026 Ukhta in Komi Republic at 1705km
• 08.10.2026 Omsk in Omsk Oblast at 2500km
• 08.10.2026 Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat in Bashkortostan at 1300km
• 02.10.2026 Volgograd in Volgograd Oblast at 500km

September: 14 hits

• 26.09.2026 Ilsky in Krasnodar Krai at 405km
• 26.09.2026 Afipsky in Krasnodar Krai at 415km
• 25.09.2026 Novoshakhtinsk in Rostov Oblast at 250km
• 25.09.2026 Perm in Perm Krai at 1485km
• 21.09.2026 Bashneft-UNPZ in Bashkortostan at 1485km
• 21.09.2026 Kuybyshevsky in Samara Oblast at 915km
• 20.09.2026 Moscow in Moscow at 475km
• 17.09.2026 Yaroslavl in Yaroslavl Oblast at 700km
• 15.09.2026 Syzran in Samara Oblast at 805km
• 13.09.2026 Slavyansk in Krasnodar Krai at 350km
• 13.09.2026 Taneco in Tatarstan at 1150km
• 11.09.2026 Saratov in Saratov Oblast at 590km
• 09.09.2026 Novo Urungoy in Yamalia at 2810km
• 06.09.2026 Ryazan in Ryazan Oblast at 480km

Complete chronological list from 24.02.2022 till today

2026:

• September: 14 hits
• August: 21 hits ^{NEW MONTHLY RECORD}
• July: 15 hits
• June: 16 hits
• May: 14 hits
• April: 10 hits
• March: 6 hits
• February: 3 hits
• January: 2 hits

• 2022 had 1 hit
• 2023 had 1 hit
• 2024 had 26 hits
• 2025 had 84 hits
• 2026 has 105 hits so far ^{NEW YEARLY RECORD}
• Total hits from 24.02.2022 till today: 216

Monthly records since the invasion of Ukraine on 24.02.2022 :

1. August 2026 with 21 hits
2. July 2026 with 16 hits
3. November 2025 with 15 hits
4. May 2026 with 14 hits
5. June 2026 with 13 hits (August 2025 also had 13 hits)

4 of the 5 monthly records were in May, June, July, August, 4 consecutive months in 2026.

Interesting how critical digital infrastructure is becoming part of the conflict. Disrupting a data centre can have effects well beyond the immediate target, especially when AI and other essential services depend on it. Feels like infrastructure resilience is going to be a much bigger part of defence planning going forward.

If only there was a better zoom on the camera…



The Second Battle of Fallujah (also known as Operation Phantom Fury) began in November 2004, immediately following the U.S. presidential election, to clear insurgents and secure the region ahead of Iraq's national elections in January 2005. [1, 2, 3]

Key Details of the Operation

Timing: The U.S.-backed Iraqi interim government declared a state of emergency on November 7, 2004, and the ground offensive officially launched on November 8, 2004, just days after the U.S. presidential election concluded. [1, 2]

Coalition Forces: More than 12,000 U.S. service members, British forces, and Iraqi security units took part in the urban assault. [1, 2]

Primary Objective: U.S. and Iraqi officials aimed to eliminate insurgent control and safe havens in Fallujah so that the broader Iraqi population could safely participate in the January 30, 2005, national elections. [1, 2, 3]

Outcome: The intense street-by-street combat largely cleared the city by December 2004, though it resulted in significant destruction and heavy casualties on both sides. [1, 2]