Iran warns of heavier response after US tanker strikes

Iran has warned of a "faster, heavier and more painful" response to any future U.S. attacks, signaling a significant shift in the dynamics of the ongoing conflict. The warning came on Sunday, September 6, 2026, a day after U.S. forces struck three Iranian oil tankers. U.S. Central Command stated the strikes were a direct retaliation for Iranian missile attacks launched at two U.S. Navy vessels. Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, speaker of Iran's parliament, declared that "the rules of the conflict have changed" and that any future aggression against Iran's interests or security would be met with a more forceful response. He cautioned that the era of proportional responses was over, suggesting that recent Iranian operations were merely a beginning. The U.S. military reported that its aircraft carrier and guided-missile destroyer evaded the Iranian missile attacks without sustaining damage or casualties. U.S. Central Command indicated that the targeted Iranian tankers were part of a network used to finance Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its regional allies. Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of U.S.