Context & sources
The news context
On 5 September 2026, the US military said it struck three Iranian oil tankers after its warships were targeted with missiles, as reported by AP. This cartoon turns the cycle of escalation into an imaginary escalator travelling in the wrong direction. The officials, scene and dialogue are fictional; the image does not depict the attacks.
This cartoon is satire. Its visual dialogue is invented; the linked reporting provides the factual background.
Read the comic transcript
An upward escalator carries an anxious globe, oil barrels and small cargo ships. Two fictional suited officials stand by its controls. The sign reads: DE-ESCALATION. The globe says: I thought we were going down. Bottom credit: comicoftheday.com · 5 SEP 2026 · SATIRE.
Correction / update
Updated 30 September 2026: Revised the summary to foreground the reported news. The original publication date and cartoon are unchanged.
Updated 30 September 2026