US Destroys Five Iranian Oil Tankers Amid Escalating Tensions

The US military destroyed five Iranian oil tankers on Tuesday in response to attacks on its warships, escalating tensions between the two nations. The strikes come as part of a dual economic and military approach by President Donald Trump to bring an end to the war.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards targeted a Navy warship with ballistic missiles twice over the past two days, prompting the US to strike back at Iranian oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman. The US warship successfully evaded the attempted attacks and continued to patrol regional waters.

The destroyed tankers were the Kivik, Charminar, Horizon 1, Riesco, and Derya, with their crews evacuated before the attacks. Iranian state television reported that the US military attacked two Iranian oil tankers near the southern port of Jask and another near Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf.

The US blockade of Iranian ports has squeezed the country's economy by limiting its oil exports, while American forces have been helping a limited number of ships transit through the Strait of Hormuz off Oman. Tehran wants ships to follow a route it chooses through the strait, which was considered an international waterway before the war.