According to numerous media reports, on 14 September 2026, Iran fired anti-ship cruise missiles at a non-military vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, injuring eight members of the United States Marines. For the first time in this conflict, official sources confirmed that United States military personnel had been hit by direct missiles in the sea and had caused casualties. Pentagon had not publicly disclosed any attack against United States military forces on 14 September, nor had the circumstances of the wounded been disclosed. The injuries, which included seven soldiers and one officer, were mainly caused by smoke inhalation and similar concussions, and traumatic brain damage was listed as possible but not confirmed. All eight personnel have returned to their posts.
The report cites three United States officials who claimed that the attack of 14 September occurred in the Strait of Hormuz. A boat carrying United States military personnel was hit by an Iranian anti-ship cruise missile. The officials made it clear that the Marines were not on board the United States naval vessels at the time, but rather were deployed on a platform known as the “Seaship”. Pentagon refused to specify the specific type of vessel or to indicate which vessel it was from.
With regard to the condition of the wounded, officials stated that the injuries were not serious. Seven of the eight were enlisted soldiers and one officer, whose main injuries were smoke inhalation, and some suffered from headaches similar to concussion. Traumatic brain damage was identified as possible but not yet confirmed. All eight subsequently returned to duty and returned to duty by some weekend in late September. The names and specific ranks of the wounded have not yet been disclosed.
The United States has never given a clear answer to the nature of the ship that was hit. The official simply stated that it was not an asset of the United States Navy and that it was called a maritime vessel or a naval vessel, but did not state whether it was a merchant ship, tanker or other type of vessel. According to sources in the Middle East, the Marines may be escorting a commercial vessel across the Strait of Hormuz. However, this assertion has not been confirmed by the United States, and neither the specific identity of the vessel nor its nationality nor whether it was privately contracted.
The Marines were on duty as part of a battalion-level landing team. It has been reported that during this deployment, the Force carried out four maritime interdiction operations, three of which ended with marines boarding the ship; in one case, Marines seizure took a ship and maintained control for about two weeks before returning the crew. These actions are part of a broader system of maritime closures and vessel inspections.
NBC News was the first to cover the incident on Sunday night, followed by several media outlets. It was reported that Pentagon had not previously disclosed any attack against United States forces in the area on 14 September. The circumstances of the Iranian attack and the injuries of eight marines had not been publicly reported. Pentagon remained silent until the media investigation revealed an indirect response.
On 28 September, CENTCOM (United States Central Command) issued a fact-finding statement refuting the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's claim that its “Navy” controlled the Strait of Hormuz. CENTCOM states that Iran does not have a navy because it has been sunk by United States forces, nor does Iran control the Strait of Hormuz, as evidenced by the free passage of thousands of ships and the unobstructed transport of more than 1 billion barrels of oil over the past months. CENTCOM's statement is in contrast to Iran's claim that “the West Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf are under the exclusive control of the Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy and the East is under the control of the Iranian Army Navy”.
The Iranian media had previously reported the use of Qadir missiles. Qadir is a modern version of the Noor missile, based on the development of the Chinese C-802 missile. The missile could have a range of up to 300 kilometres and be equipped with 165 kg of semi-armour-piercing combat. The Iranian side has repeatedly claimed full control of the Strait of Hormuz and has stated that both the western sea and the Persian Gulf are under the control of the Revolutionary Guard Navy and the Iranian Army Navy.
At the same time, there were reports that on 28 September, the Iranian side had announced that 18 ships had been targing only in the Strait of Hormuz, but the United States military had not yet confirmed those reports. In addition, earlier that day, an unidentified IL-76 transport aircraft landed in Tehran, carrying unknown cargo and unknown persons; at the same time, an Iranian C-130 transport aircraft also landed in Tehran. The purpose and payload of the two unidentified aircraft are not yet clear.
The incident took place against the backdrop of continued tension between the United States and Iran. In late February 2026, the United States, in coordination with Israel, launched a large-scale military operation against Iran, codenamed “Operation Epic Fury”. On 28 February, President Trump announced in Truth Social that “the United States forces began large-scale combat operations against Iran”. The first attack consisted of nearly 900 joint United States-Iraq air strikes targeting Iranian Government buildings, military installations, missile infrastructure and air defence systems.
In the following months, the conflict escalated into air warfare, maritime blockades and intensive diplomacy, until mid-June, when a fragile ceasefire framework emerged. Marine expeditions played a central role throughout the process, carrying out boarding of vessels, blockades at Iranian ports and preparations for possible ground raids (which were planned but never carried out on Iranian soil).
In early September, JD Vance said, "This is not war, no active shooting, nothing is going on." President Trump expressed similar views at the same time. However, only two days later, on 5 September, the United States destroyed three Iranian tankers as part of its oil tanker to tanker policy. Since then, United States military activity in the area has continued, including the dispatch of naval vessels to the Middle East. It was reported that the Navy had dispatched the Roosevelt carrier to the Middle East, animating Iran war.
The incident directly affected United States military personnel stationed in the sea off the Strait of Hormuz, particularly marines. In carrying out their mission on board non-military vessels, they were subjected to direct missile strikes. Although the injuries were minor and returned to duty, the incident exposed the risk of United States military personnel operating in the sea and raised questions as to whether Pentagon had properly disclosed the casualties.
For the shipping industry and ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, this incident meant that the security situation in the area remained tense. Iran claims control of the strait, while the United States denies that this confrontation exposes passing ships to potential risks. For the industry that relies on the Strait of Hormuz for the transportation of oil and other goods, uncertainty remains.
Readers could then focus on the following aspects: first, whether Pentagon would further disclose the details of the attack of 14 September, including the identity of the ship, the specific condition of the wounded and why there had been no public notification. Second, would CENTCOM and the United States forces continue to contest Iran ' s strait control claims and would Iran take further action. Thirdly, would the deployment of the United States forces in that area be adjusted and, in particular, would there be a change in the assignment of marines on non-military vessels. Fourthly, the 18 vessels claimed by Iran have been confirmed by targing and whether the purpose for which the unidentified aircraft landed in Tehran was related to the conflict.
It is now known that an Iranian missile attack on 14 September left eight marines wounded and wounded, all of them returning to their posts; that Pentagon had not previously been revealed; that the nature of the vessel was unknown; and that the conflict as a whole was under a fragile ceasefire framework but local tensions persisted. This information constitutes the basic picture of the current situation, and more details are yet to be officially disclosed.