By Benson Daniel
The United States military has destroyed five Iranian oil tankers after accusing Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of launching ballistic missile attacks against an American Navy warship in the Gulf region.
The US Central Command said the American warship successfully evaded two separate missile attacks over a two day period, with no American personnel injured. The military said the strikes against the tankers were carried out in response to the attempted attacks.
According to the US military, the vessels targeted were the Kivik, Charminar, Horizon 1 and Riesco in the Gulf of Oman, while the fifth vessel, Derya, was struck near Iran’s Kharg Island, a major oil terminal.
US forces said the crews of the five vessels were ordered to abandon the tankers before they were attacked. The vessels were described by Washington as being affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The latest strikes represent a further escalation in the increasingly direct confrontation between Washington and Tehran, which has continued for more than six months. US forces had already destroyed three Iranian oil tankers on Saturday after Iranian forces attempted to strike two American Navy vessels with ballistic missiles.
The US response has also raised fresh concerns over the security of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil shipping routes. The waterway carries a significant share of global energy supplies and has become a major flashpoint in the conflict.
Iran retaliated after the latest tanker strikes by launching ballistic missiles towards US targets in Jordan. Jordanian authorities said their air defence systems intercepted most of the missiles and reported no casualties.
The renewed fighting has already affected energy markets, with Brent crude rising close to $100 per barrel as traders assess the possibility of further disruptions to oil shipments through the Gulf. Shipping activity through the Strait of Hormuz has also fallen below its recent average amid heightened security concerns.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington would continue responding to attacks on American naval forces, warning that Iran would face further economic consequences if it continued targeting US ships.
Iran, meanwhile, has threatened additional measures around the Strait of Hormuz, raising fears that the confrontation could disrupt international oil supplies and increase pressure on already volatile global energy markets.
The latest exchange marks another dangerous step in the conflict, with both sides showing little indication that the cycle of attacks and retaliation is about to end.
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