US and Iran Engage in Escalating Shipping Strikes Amid Global Oil Price Surge
The conflict between the US and Iran escalated on September 9 as both countries launched strikes against each other's shipping vessels. The US military claimed it sank five Iranian oil tankers overnight near Kharg Island, Iran's main oil export hub, in response to Tehran firing missiles at a US Navy warship over the past two days.
Iran retaliated by firing 20 ballistic missiles toward Jordan, which said it intercepted 18 of them. Two of the missiles landed in unpopulated areas, causing no damage or casualties. The IRGC also claimed that it attacked two US vessels and eight oil tankers that were trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
The escalation has led to a surge in global oil prices, with Brent crude reaching $100 per barrel for the first time since July. The UK Maritime Trade Operations warned that several vessels in the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf were 'subject to disabling fire as part of ongoing military activity in the region.'
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran would 'lose tankers' every time it attempted to hit US ships, adding that Washington's goal is to squeeze Tehran economically.