U.S. forces struck five Iranian oil tankers in response to Iran's recent targeting of an American warship and a base in Jordan, U.S. Central Command (Centcom) announced Tuesday.
The strikes targeted oil tankers associated with Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) in the Gulf of Oman and near Kharg Island, a significant oil export terminal off Iran's coast. According to Centcom, these tankers were part of a "multi-billion-dollar shadow network" used to fund the IRGC and its regional proxies.
Centcom stated that Iran had twice targeted a U.S. Navy warship with ballistic missiles over the preceding two days, which the U.S. forces successfully evaded. No American personnel were harmed.
In retaliation for the U.S. action, Iran launched missiles toward a U.S. base in Jordan. Jordan's military reported shooting down 18 of the 20 missiles with its air defense systems, with two falling in unpopulated areas.
Following the U.S. retaliatory strike, Tehran issued warnings of further action against U.S. ships located in Kuwaiti and Bahraini ports. The IRGC Navy Command advised oil tanker crews near these ports linked to the U.S. to "immediately leave their vessels" due to the threat of targeting.
This exchange represents an escalation in ongoing tit-for-tat strikes between the U.S. and Iran, occurring more than six months after the U.S. and Israel initiated attacks against Iran. The events have led to a rise in oil prices, with benchmark Brent crude and U.S.-traded oil both increasing by over 1.5% in early Asian trading, nearing $100 a barrel.