ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

The United States has issued a fresh warning to Iran, threatening to destroy and sink Iranian oil tankers if Tehran launches further attacks against American naval vessels.

U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth issued the warning on Saturday, September 5, 2026, shortly after American forces struck three Iranian oil tankers following what Washington described as ballistic-missile attacks by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) against two U.S. Navy warships.

Hegseth, in a statement on X, said the United States would respond directly by targeting Iran’s oil fleet if American ships came under fire.

“It’s simple: if Iran shoots at U.S. ships, we will destroy (and sink) their oil tankers,” Hegseth said, adding that Iran only needed to refrain from attacking the U.S. Navy.

He further claimed that Iran’s oil tanker fleet was vulnerable because, according to him, Tehran lacked the naval and air capabilities necessary to protect the vessels.

“Iran’s oil tanker fleet is defenseless — Iran has no navy or air force. Our planes, ships & subs can strike them all,” Hegseth said, referring to areas under the U.S. Central Command and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

US strikes three Iranian tankers

The warning came after U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that American forces had struck three Iranian crude oil carriers.

CENTCOM said the action followed missile attacks by the IRGC against a U.S. aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer. According to the command, both American warships successfully evaded the missiles and no U.S. personnel were injured.

The American military identified two of the vessels as M/T Downy, which was struck off Kharg Island, and M/T Stark 1, targeted near Jask.

Both vessels were described by CENTCOM as “permanently disabled.”

A third tanker, M/T Kylo, also known as Noxen, was attacked in the Gulf of Oman. CENTCOM said the crew was warned to abandon the vessel before it was destroyed.

The U.S. military said the tankers were connected to what it described as a multibillion-dollar “shadow network” allegedly used to finance Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and its regional allies.

US threatens wider action

The commander of U.S. Central Command, Admiral Brad Cooper, also warned that Washington would impose an even greater economic cost on Tehran if Iranian forces continued attacking American vessels.

“If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost — taking out three of yours,” Cooper said.

He added that the United States would not hesitate to defend its forces and, if necessary, destroy Iran’s “limited and exposed oil fleet.”

The latest threats signal a potentially significant expansion of the maritime confrontation between Washington and Tehran, with Iranian oil shipments increasingly becoming a direct target of U.S. military pressure.

Iran condemns attacks

Iran has condemned the American strikes on its oil tankers, describing the attacks as illegal and warning that Washington and its allies would bear responsibility for the consequences of continued attacks.

Iranian authorities have also warned that further attacks on Iranian vessels could trigger retaliation against American interests in the region.

The escalation is particularly significant because it is unfolding around the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy shipping routes.

The waterway connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and is a critical route for global oil supplies. Continued attacks on commercial vessels could therefore have wider implications for international energy markets and global shipping.

With the United States now openly threatening to target Iran’s oil fleet in response to attacks on its Navy, the latest confrontation could mark a new and more dangerous phase in the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

The United Nations General Assembly has overwhelmingly backed a Togo-led resolution calling for a more accurate representation of the world’s continents, particularly Africa, on global maps.

The resolution, “Correct the Map: Rebalancing Global Cartographic Representation and Promoting Equitable Representation of the World’s Regions, Particularly Africa,” was adopted on Friday, September 4, with 164 countries voting in favour, six abstaining and only the United States voting against.

The initiative promotes the gradual adoption of the Equal Earth projection, which represents the relative areas of continents more accurately than the centuries-old Mercator projection. The Mercator map, developed in 1569 primarily for navigation, significantly enlarges landmasses closer to the poles while making equatorial regions such as Africa appear disproportionately smaller.

Togo, which spearheaded the initiative with African Union backing, argued that maps are not merely geographical tools but also shape how societies perceive the world and their place in it.

The resolution is not legally binding and does not ban the Mercator projection, which remains useful for maritime navigation. Instead, it encourages governments, educational institutions and other users to consider more geographically accurate alternatives.

The vote also exposed differing political interpretations of the initiative. The United States was the sole country to oppose the resolution, arguing that the United Nations should concentrate on more pressing global challenges rather than what Washington characterised as an ideological agenda.

The measure nonetheless represents a significant diplomatic victory for African countries seeking to challenge longstanding distortions in the way the continent is visually represented on commonly used world maps.

Africa has not changed its size. The map is finally being asked to show it.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

The UK Government has updated its official list of employers licensed to sponsor foreign workers, providing jobseekers with a current resource for identifying organisations that may be able to sponsor eligible workers.

The Register of Licensed Sponsors: Workers, published on GOV.UK, contains organisations authorised to sponsor workers under the UK’s Worker and Temporary Worker immigration routes.

The latest version of the register was updated on September 4, 2026, according to the UK Government.

The register can be useful for people outside the UK who are searching for jobs that could potentially lead to visa sponsorship, allowing them to research licensed employers before applying for vacancies.

Rather than applying to employers at random, jobseekers can use the register to identify organisations that hold a valid sponsor licence and then check whether they have suitable vacancies.

The list can help applicants to:

* Identify potential sponsoring employers

Research organisations before submitting applications

* Monitor companies for suitable job openings

* Make their UK job search more targeted

* Confirm whether an organisation is included on the official sponsor register

However, being included on the register does not mean that every job advertised by an organisation comes with visa sponsorship.

A sponsor licence means an employer is authorised to sponsor eligible workers, but whether sponsorship is offered for a particular vacancy depends on factors including the job, the applicant’s eligibility and the employer’s decision.

Jobseekers should therefore treat the register as a starting point for research rather than confirmation that sponsorship is available.

After finding an employer on the list, applicants should carefully review the specific vacancy and check the job title, responsibilities, required qualifications and experience, salary, location and eligibility conditions.

They should also look for any information provided by the employer about visa sponsorship and determine whether the position is eligible under the relevant immigration route.

The UK Government’s sponsor register is updated periodically, meaning people actively looking for sponsored employment should check the latest version rather than relying on older copies.

The official Register of Licensed Sponsors: Workers is available on the UK Government’s website.

For jobseekers hoping to work in the UK, using the sponsor register can make the search more focused. However, applicants should always check the individual vacancy and the latest immigration requirements before applying, as being listed as a licensed sponsor does not guarantee sponsorship for a particular job.