United States destroys Iranian tankers as Iran retaliates against Jordan base strike
American forces destroyed five Iranian oil tankers in response to Iranian missile attacks on a US Navy warship. Iran retaliated by striking a US military base in Jordan with ballistic missiles. The exchange represents the heaviest day of attacks since the conflict began in February.
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United States Central Command announced on Tuesday that its forces had destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers: the M/T Kaviz, M/T Charminar and M/T Horizon 1 in the Gulf of Oman, the M/T Riesco also in the Gulf of Oman, and the M/T Derya near Kharg Island. The American military said the strikes were a response to two previous attempts by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to hit a US Navy warship with ballistic missiles over the preceding two days.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard confirmed the loss of the five tankers and stated it had retaliated by firing ballistic missiles at the Al-Azraq base in Jordan, which is used by US forces. Jordanian authorities reported that their air defences intercepted eighteen of twenty incoming missiles, with the remaining two landing in unpopulated areas and causing no casualties. The Guard also claimed it struck ten commercial vessels in the region and said it attacked US positions in Bahrain, though the Pentagon denied that American destroyers were hit.
These clashes represent the largest single-day wave of attacks on shipping since the United States and Iran began their conflict in February. According to shipping data, only about ten commercial vessels a day have recently transited the Strait of Hormuz, the lowest rate since May. This waterway normally carries roughly one-fifth of the world's oil supply.
Qatar's Foreign Ministry warned that continued disruption of the strait risked an "industrial catastrophe" for the region and global energy markets. Brent crude oil rose to around 97 to 98 dollars a barrel on Tuesday, its highest level in approximately six weeks. Meanwhile, the Pentagon faces mounting operational costs from the six-month conflict, with defence officials examining budget options as the confrontation between Washington and Tehran continues despite periodic diplomatic contacts.
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