US Strikes Iranian Oil Tankers Amid Escalating Conflict
The United States has taken military action against Iranian oil tankers in response to attempted missile attacks on a Navy warship. The strikes, which occurred near the southern port of Jask and near Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf, come as Washington and Tehran continue to engage in a protracted conflict that began over six months ago.
Iranian state television reported that two Iranian tankers were struck, with one vessel being targeted near the coast of Yekbeni. The crew was evacuated by lifeboat towards the Jask coast. A second tanker was attacked near waters off Jask, and its crew was also safely evacuated shortly after the strike.
The U.S. military has warned that it will 'destroy Iran's limited and exposed oil fleet' if necessary. In a separate development, President Donald Trump's administration imposed sanctions on additional elements of Iran's aviation industry, targeting more than two dozen commercial and private airlines as well as foreign cargo service providers.
The U.S. is seeking to exert control over the Strait of Hormuz, where about one-fifth of the world's oil passes through before being exported. Rising energy prices are posing political problems for Trump ahead of the November midterm elections, with a barrel of international standard Brent crude briefly climbing as high as $99.46 on Tuesday.
Tehran wants ships to follow a route that it chooses through the Strait of Hormuz, which was previously considered an international waterway before the war began. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Navy has warned crews of oil tankers near ports in Kuwait and Bahrain to immediately leave their vessels, stating they could be targeted in retaliation for U.S. attacks on Iranian tankers.