US Destroys Five Iranian Oil Tankers Amid Escalating Conflict

The conflict in the Middle East escalated on Tuesday as Iranian-backed Houthis launched strikes on several Saudi cities, wounding 73 people and setting oil installations ablaze. The US military responded by destroying five Iranian crude oil carriers, citing Iran's targeting of a US Navy warship with ballistic missiles.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that for every time Iran tries to hit US naval ships, 'they're going to lose tankers.' The US has been trying to increase the flow of oil to world markets by guiding ships through the Strait of Hormuz while cutting off Iran's exports with a blockade.

The Houthis attacked four cities in southern Saudi Arabia, including the cities of Abha, Najran and Jazan, using drones and missiles. NASA satellite images showed a thick cloud of black smoke over the Jazan refinery and a column of white smoke rising from an oil distribution centre in Abha.

The conflict has worsened global economic impact by disrupting Middle East energy supplies beyond the blockaded Strait of Hormuz. The US and Iran are engaged in a test of wills, with each side hoping that economic pressure from competing blockades will force the other to yield.