US Destroys Five Iranian Oil Tankers Amid Escalating Tensions
The US military has destroyed five Iranian crude oil tankers following attacks on a US warship by Iran's Revolutionary Guard. The strikes were in response to two Iranian efforts to hit the warship with ballistic missiles over the past two days.
The US Central Command said that the crews of the five vessels were told to abandon ship before the attacks, which took place in the Gulf of Oman and near Kharg Island in the Strait of Hormuz. The destroyed tankers include the Kivik, Charminar, Horizon 1, Riesco, and Derya.
The US military has been helping a limited number of ships transit through the Strait of Hormuz off Oman, which has squeezed Iran's economy by limiting its oil exports. Rising energy prices are posing political problems for President Trump and his Republican Party ahead of the November midterm elections.