US Destroys Five Iranian Oil Tankers in Escalating Conflict
The US military has destroyed five Iranian oil tankers in response to recent missile attacks on its warships. The strike is part of a dual economic and military approach by President Donald Trump as he struggles to bring an end to the war.
According to US Central Command, the tankers targeted were the Kivik, Charminar, Horizon 1, Riesco, and Derya. The crews of these vessels were told to abandon ship before the attacks.
The strike is a response to Iran's Revolutionary Guards targeting a Navy warship with ballistic missiles twice over the past two days. 'The U.S. warship successfully evaded the attempted Iranian attacks and continued to patrol regional waters,' said US Central Command in a statement.
Rising energy prices are posing political problems for Trump and his Republican Party ahead of the November midterm elections. A barrel of international standard Brent crude briefly climbed as high as $99.46 on Tuesday.