US Strikes Five Iranian Oil Tankers Amid Escalating Tensions
The US and Iran have engaged in a series of tit-for-tat strikes, escalating tensions in the region. The US Central Command (Centcom) reported that it struck five Iranian oil tankers on Tuesday, sinking one, in response to Tehran targeting an American warship with ballistic missiles.
The US claimed that the targeted tankers were part of a multi-billion-dollar shadow network that funds the IRGC and its regional proxies. Centcom posted a video showing the damaged vessel, M/T Riesco, which sank in the Gulf of Oman.
Tehran responded by launching missiles at a US base in Jordan, with 18 out of 20 Iranian missiles shot down by Jordanian forces. Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed to have attacked two US vessels and eight oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.