The United States has struck five Iranian oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman and around Kharg Island, saying the action followed two attempted missile attacks by Iran against an American warship within 48 hours.
Iran responded with missile attacks on US forces at Al Azraq air base in Jordan. Tehran also claimed that its forces had attacked two US vessels and eight tankers in the region, reporting major damage. The United States has not immediately confirmed those claims.
The latest confrontation comes as tensions continue to rise between Washington and Tehran, months after the United States and Israel began military operations against Iran. Iran has restricted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, while the US has imposed a naval blockade around Iranian ports.
The conflict has also affected global energy markets. Oil prices climbed to $99.49 a barrel during early trading on Wednesday.
US Central Command said Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had attempted to attack an American warship twice over two days. According to CENTCOM, the vessel avoided both attacks and no American personnel were injured.
The US military said it subsequently targeted five Iranian oil carriers. Four of them, M/T Kaviz, M/T Charminar, M/T Horizon 1 and M/T Riesco, were struck in the Gulf of Oman, while M/T Derya was targeted near Kharg Island.
CENTCOM said crews were instructed to leave the ships before the attacks and that the vessels were subsequently disabled. The command later released footage it said showed the M/T Riesco sinking.
Iranian state broadcaster IRIB confirmed an attack near Kharg Island, an important centre for the country’s oil exports before the conflict. It said the tanker crew had been evacuated and reported that another vessel was struck near Jask in the Gulf of Oman.
The IRGC later said five tankers had been targeted by the United States. It claimed that Iran responded with missile attacks against Al Azraq base in Jordan, saying facilities used by American fighter aircraft were destroyed.
Iran also claimed that ballistic missiles struck two US Navy destroyers identified as DDG 119 and DDG 53. The IRGC said the vessels suffered significant damage, although there was no immediate confirmation from Washington.
In another statement, Iranian forces said they had targeted two American vessels and eight tankers in the region. It remains unclear whether the vessels mentioned in that statement were the same destroyers identified earlier.
Jordan’s military said its air defence systems detected 20 ballistic missiles and intercepted 18 of them. The remaining two landed in areas without residents, according to the statement. No casualties were reported, while specialist teams were sent to deal with debris from the attacks.
Before the US strikes on the tankers, Iranian Armed Forces chief of staff Ali Abdollahi had warned that Tehran would target American military facilities across the region if Iranian oil vessels came under attack.