Trump Unleashes 'Tanker for Tanker' Policy Against Iran Amid Escalating Tensions

US President Donald Trump has adopted a 'tanker for tanker' policy against Iran in response to escalating tensions between the two countries. According to Axios, the US military carried out strikes against two Iranian government tankers parked on the Iranian coast north of the US naval blockade line.

The 'tanker for tanker' policy aims to deter Iran from striking ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz by targeting its own oil tankers. U.S. officials reported that around 100 targets were struck, including roughly 40 ships transiting in and out of the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday.

The US intercepted strikes on ships, and Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei slammed the attacks, calling them 'the catalogue of atrocities against the nation of Iran.' He also pointed to earlier US strikes, including a strike on a girls' school in Minab that resulted in the deaths of more than 150 civilians.

In a statement, Baqaei said, 'More dangerous than the bomb itself is the normalization of bombing; and more dangerous than silence is the conversion of silence into legitimacy.' He warned that Tehran will have a firm response to the attacks.