Tensions between the United States and Iran have escalated sharply after US forces struck five Iranian oil tankers, sinking one vessel, while Tehran launched missiles towards a US military base in Jordan.
The US Central Command (Centcom) said the strikes on Tuesday targeted four Iranian oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman that were allegedly linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as well as another tanker near Kharg Island, a major Iranian oil export terminal.
Centcom said the action followed two separate incidents in which Iran targeted a US warship with ballistic missiles. According to the US military, the missiles were successfully evaded and no American personnel were injured.
Iran subsequently launched missiles towards a US military base in Jordan.
Jordanian authorities said their forces intercepted 18 of the 20 Iranian missiles, while the remaining two landed in unpopulated areas.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards later claimed that it had carried out attacks against two US vessels, eight oil tankers and 10 other vessels it described as “non-compliant” while attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
The latest confrontation marks a further escalation in hostilities between Washington and Tehran, coming more than six months after the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28.
The conflict has also sent fresh concerns through global energy markets.
Brent crude rose 1.5% in Asian trading to $99.35 per barrel, while US-traded oil gained 1.3% to reach $94.23.
Centcom said the tankers targeted by US forces were allegedly part of a multibillion-dollar “shadow network” used to finance the IRGC and its regional allies.
One of the vessels, identified as the M/T Riesco, later sank in the Gulf of Oman, according to Centcom.
The proximity of the latest strikes to Kharg Island has heightened concerns about Iran’s oil exports. The island hosts the country’s main crude export terminal, with a large share of Iranian oil passing through the facility after being transported from inland production areas by pipeline.
The latest military exchanges are taking place against a backdrop of wider instability across the region.
On Tuesday, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement also reportedly attacked energy facilities and civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia. Saudi authorities said 73 people were injured.
The drone and missile assault reportedly caused fires at oil facilities and other installations, temporarily disrupting operations.
With attacks involving US and Iranian forces spreading across strategic waterways and energy infrastructure, concerns are growing that continued escalation could further disrupt oil supplies and push global energy prices higher.
