US forces have struck five Iranian oil tankers, sinking one, in a sharp escalation of hostilities after Tehran targeted an American warship.
The strikes hit four tankers in the Gulf of Oman linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, and another near Kharg Island, which handles about 90% of Iran’s crude oil exports. In immediate response, Iran launched a volley of missiles at a US base in Jordan. Jordanian military officials confirmed that air defenses shot down 18 of the 20 incoming missiles, with the remaining two falling harmlessly in unpopulated areas.
US Central Command stated the targeted ships were “part of a multi-billion-dollar shadow network that funds the IRGC and its regional proxies.” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio kept the message blunt, warning of further consequences. “Iran continues to try to hit US naval ships,” he told reporters. “And, for every time they do that or try to do that, they’re going to lose tankers.”
The retaliation did not stop there. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed they also attacked two US vessels and eight oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. Tensions were further inflamed when Iran’s navy claimed to have seized a US underwater drone. The US Navy quickly dismissed the incident, explaining the device was simply a malfunctioning, older survey model carrying no classified data.
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This violence is rippling across the region and the global economy. Benchmark oil prices climbed above $99 a barrel as markets reacted to the growing instability. Meanwhile, Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen launched separate drone attacks on energy facilities in Saudi Arabia, injuring dozens and temporarily halting operations.
This latest cycle of violence comes more than six months after initial US and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February. For now, the waters of the Gulf remain a tense flashpoint. With both sides trading blows and drawing hard red lines, the risk of a wider, uncontrollable conflict grows with every passing day.
Promise Idoko is Junior Reporter working with moderncrux He covers global politics and international affairs. Based in Nigeria,
