US Destroys Five Iranian Oil Tankers Amid Escalating Tensions
The United States military has destroyed five Iranian oil tankers in response to recent attacks on its warships, escalating tensions between the two countries.
The strikes targeted vessels in the Gulf of Oman and near Kharg Island in the Strait of Hormuz, where about one-fifth of the world's oil passes through. The U.S. military also destroyed three Iranian tankers on Saturday after Iran's Revolutionary Guards attempted to attack a U.S. aircraft carrier and destroyer with ballistic missiles.
The latest attacks come as President Donald Trump's administration seeks to bring an end to the war, which has been ongoing for more than six months. To that end, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on additional elements of Iran's aviation industry, targeting over two dozen commercial and private airlines as well as foreign cargo service providers.
Danny Citrinowicz, an Iran expert at Israel's Institute for National Security Studies, warned that such back-and-forth strikes can only risk more retaliation and further impact to the global economy. 'There is no kinetic solution to the Strait of Hormuz problem,' he said. 'Every attempt to impose one only brings Washington and Tehran closer to an escalation that may become increasingly difficult to control.'
The U.S. Central Command confirmed the destruction of the five Iranian tankers, which included the Kivik, Charminar, Horizon 1, and Riesco in the Gulf of Oman, as well as the vessel Derya near Kharg Island.