US Strikes Five Iranian Oil Tankers Amid Escalating Tensions
The United States has retaliated against Iran by attacking five of its oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman and near Kharg Island, following a series of missile attacks on a US warship. According to CENTCOM, the vessels targeted were M/T Kaviz, M/T Charminar, M/T Horizon 1, M/T Riesco, and M/T Derya.
No American personnel were harmed in the strikes, which come amid escalating tensions between the two nations. Iran had fired missiles at US forces stationed at the Al Azraq base in Jordan on Tuesday, with Jordan's Armed Forces intercepting and destroying 18 of the 20 ballistic missiles.
The exchange has heightened economic stakes, with oil prices rising to $99.46 earlier this week. The US has framed its strikes as part of a broader effort to pressure Tehran, claiming that the targeted tankers were 'part of a multi-billion-dollar shadow network that funds the IRGC and its regional proxies.'
Danny Citrinowicz, an Iran expert at Israel's Institute for National Security Studies, warned that the back-and-forth strikes can only risk more retaliation and further impact to the global economy. He stated, 'There is no kinetic solution to the Strait of Hormuz problem.'