US Strikes Five Iranian Oil Tankers, Crude Oil Prices Surge Above $100
US forces have struck five Iranian oil tankers in the Persian Gulf, sending crude oil prices above $100 per barrel. The strikes come in response to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targeting a US warship with ballistic missiles twice over the past two days.
CENTCOM said it destroyed the M/T Kaviz, M/T Charminar, M/T Horizon 1, and M/T Riesco in the Gulf of Oman, and M/T Derya near Iran's Kharg Island. The US warship successfully evaded the attempted Iranian attacks and continued to patrol regional waters.
As a result, Iran fired ballistic missiles towards Jordan, while also warning that vessels in the Persian Gulf could be targeted, according to two analysts from ING Bank. Only 15 vessels attempted to transit the Strait of Hormuz on Monday - six inbound, nine outbound - with three vessels moving in dark mode.