US Military Destroys Five Iranian Oil Tankers in Retaliation Strike

The US military has taken action against Iranian oil tankers in response to ballistic missile attacks on a US warship. According to U.S. Central Command, five tankers were destroyed, including the Kivik, Charminar, Horizon 1, Riesco, and Derya.

No American personnel were harmed during the attack, which occurred over two days. The crews of the destroyed vessels were reportedly told to abandon ship before the strikes.

The US military's actions come just three days after it destroyed three Iranian oil tankers in a similar incident. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the US will not allow Iran's attacks to go unanswered, warning that 'for every time they try to hit U.S. naval ships, they're going to lose tankers.'

Danny Citrinowicz, an Iran expert at Israel's Institute for National Security Studies, cautioned that the back-and-forth strikes could escalate tensions and further impact the global economy.