US Military Destroys Five Iranian Oil Tankers in Escalating Conflict
The US military has escalated its conflict with Iran by destroying five Iranian oil tankers in response to recent attacks on American warships. The strikes, which took place on Tuesday, were carried out after the Revolutionary Guards targeted a Navy warship with ballistic missiles twice over the past two days.
The US Central Command said that the Iranian vessels, including the Kivik and Charminar, were destroyed in the Gulf of Oman and near Kharg Island in the Strait of Hormuz. The crews of the tankers were told to abandon ship before the attacks, according to the US military statement.
The latest strikes are part of a dual economic and military approach by President Donald Trump as he struggles to bring an end to the war. The Trump administration also imposed sanctions on additional elements of Iran's aviation industry, targeting more than two dozen commercial and private airlines as well as foreign cargo service providers.