US Destroys Five Iranian Tankers Amid Escalating Gulf Tensions

The United States has taken military action against Iran, destroying five Iranian oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman and near Kharg Island. The move comes after Tehran launched ballistic missiles at a U.S. warship twice in two days, which CENTCOM said was successfully evaded.

Iran retaliated by firing missiles at the Al Azraq base in Jordan, where 18 out of 20 Iranian missiles were intercepted and destroyed. Two missiles fell in unpopulated areas.

The U.S. command targeted the oil carriers M/T Kaviz, M/T Charminar, M/T Horizon 1, and M/T Riesco in the Gulf of Oman, as well as M/T Derya near Kharg Island. The Strait of Hormuz has been closed by Iran, while Washington has enforced a naval blockade on Iranian ports.

Oil prices briefly spiked to $99.46 earlier this week due to the escalating tensions. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that for every attempted attack on US naval ships, Iran will lose tankers.