US Destroys Five Iranian Oil Tankers Amid Escalating Conflict

The US military has escalated its strikes against Iranian oil tankers in response to missile attacks on a US warship. Five Iranian crude oil tankers were destroyed, including the Kivik, Charminar, Horizon 1, and Riesco in the Gulf of Oman, as well as the vessel Derya near Kharg Island in the Strait of Hormuz.

The crews of the five vessels were told to abandon ship before the attacks. The US military has said it will not allow Iran's attacks to go unanswered, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio stating that for every time Iran tries to hit US naval ships, they 'are going to lose tankers'.

Iranian state television reported that the US strikes targeted at least three Iranian oil tankers near the southern port of Jask and near Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf. The crews were evacuated from the vessels.

The latest strikes come as part of a dual economic and military approach by President Donald Trump to bring an end to a more than six-month-old war with Tehran.