US Strikes Five Iranian Oil Tankers in Escalating Middle East Tensions

US forces launched strikes against five Iranian oil tankers in response to Tehran's attacks on an American warship. The US Central Command (Centcom) confirmed that four Iranian vessels linked to the Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) were targeted in the Gulf of Oman, while another tanker was attacked near Kharg Island, a major oil terminal off Iran's coast.

The strikes are part of a tit-for-tat escalation between the US and Iran, which began more than six months ago. On Tuesday, Iran launched missiles at a US base in Jordan, but 18 of the 20 missiles were shot down by Jordanian air defences.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the situation was 'pretty straightforward', stating that Iran continues to try to hit US naval ships and will lose tankers as a result. The price of oil rose in early trading in Asia, with benchmark Brent crude up 1.5% at $99.41 a barrel.

The latest round of escalation comes after Iran targeted a US warship with ballistic missiles, which were successfully evaded by the American crew. In response, the US said that the five Iranian oil tankers it targeted were part of a multi-billion-dollar shadow network that funds the IRGC and its regional proxies.