Tensions between the United States and Iran escalated sharply on Wednesday after the US military destroyed five Iranian oil tankers, prompting Tehran to retaliate with missile strikes on a US-linked military base in Jordan and attacks on vessels near the Strait of Hormuz.
The latest exchange marks one of the most serious escalations in the six-month-old conflict, with military action increasingly spilling into commercial shipping and threatening a vital global energy route.
US Destroys Five Iranian Tankers
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said American forces destroyed five Iranian oil tankers after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) allegedly attempted to strike a US Navy warship with ballistic missiles twice over two days.
The vessels identified by CENTCOM were the Kaviz, Charminar, Horizon 1, Riesco and Derya. US forces said crews were warned to abandon the ships before the vessels were struck and rendered inoperable.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the strikes, saying Washington would continue responding to Iranian attacks on American naval vessels.
Iran Retaliates Against US Base in Jordan
Iran responded by firing ballistic missiles at Al Azraq, a military base in Jordan used by US forces.
Jordan’s military said its air defences intercepted 18 of 20 Iranian ballistic missiles, while two missiles fell in unpopulated areas. No casualties were reported. US officials also said American personnel at the base were safe.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claimed the attack caused major damage to facilities used by US forces, although those claims were not independently confirmed.
Tehran Claims Attacks On US Ships
The IRGC also claimed that Iranian forces had attacked two US vessels and several oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz.
However, the US military rejected claims that American warships had been damaged. The conflicting accounts could not immediately be independently verified.
Iran has additionally warned tankers operating near Kuwait and Bahrain to evacuate, raising concerns about further disruption to commercial shipping in the Gulf.
Strait of Hormuz Under Growing Pressure
The latest attacks have heightened fears over the security of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant share of the world’s oil supplies normally passes.
The escalation has already pushed oil prices above $100 a barrel, reflecting growing fears that prolonged fighting could disrupt global energy supplies. Reuters reported that the attacks have severely restricted shipping through the strategic waterway.
With both Washington and Tehran threatening further retaliation, the latest confrontation has raised fears that the conflict could expand beyond military targets and further destabilise global energy and shipping markets.
