US Airstrikes Hit Iranian Tanker Near Strategic Oil Hub
The US has escalated its military actions against Iran, hitting an Iranian tanker near Kharg Island's anchorage. The semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim reported that four US missiles struck the tanker in the area of Kharg Island's anchorage.
According to local sources quoted by Tasnim, there were no casualties and the crew was being evacuated from the tanker. Kharg Island is a key oil export hub for Iran, which exported 90% of its crude through this route before the US blockade began in mid-April.
The US imposed its blockade on Iranian ports after Iran effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway that carried one-fifth of the world's oil supply. The attack on Kharg Island would further pressure Iran's oil industry and economy, which is already struggling under the US sanctions.