US and Iran Escalate Conflict with Tanker Attacks
The conflict between the US and Iran has escalated with both sides launching attacks on oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. The US sank five Iranian oil tankers, while Iran fired ballistic missiles at a base used by US forces in Jordan.
Iran also attacked ten ships near the Strait of Hormuz, killing one seafarer and listing another as missing. The Revolutionary Guards said they would sharply escalate their response to any further attacks, hitting 20 targets if the enemy struck two or three.
The price of oil surged, with benchmark Brent crude futures breaching $100 a barrel for the first time since July. The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, said Iran continues to try to hit U.S. naval ships, and for every time they do that or try to do that, they're going to lose tankers.
The conflict has also spread to Yemen, where Saudi Arabia is fighting the Iran-aligned Houthi movement. The Houthis launched an attack on four cities in Saudi Arabia, causing huge fires visible from space at oil installations.