The United States and Iran exchanged fresh attacks Tuesday, with Washington saying it destroyed five Iranian oil tankers as Tehran launched missiles toward U.S. targets in Jordan, marking another dangerous escalation in the more than six month old conflict.The U.S. military said it destroyed five Iranian oil tankers in response to what it described as continued Iranian attacks against American warships.
Iran responded by launching missiles toward U.S. targets in Jordan, according to Iranian state run media. Jordan’s military said its air defenses intercepted 18 ballistic missiles heading toward its territory, while two others landed in uninhabited areas. Jordan reported no casualties from the attacks.
Jordan, a close U.S. ally, hosts American military forces and has repeatedly been targeted by Iranian strikes during the conflict. U.S. Central Command said it had no immediate information to provide about the reported attacks.The latest exchange comes as U.S. President Donald Trump pursues both military and economic pressure against Tehran in an effort to end the war.
On Tuesday, the Trump administration also announced sanctions targeting additional parts of Iran’s aviation sector. The measures affect more than two dozen commercial and private airlines as well as foreign cargo service providers, as Washington seeks to further isolate Tehran economically.
Oil tankers targeted
The latest U.S. strikes follow attacks carried out Saturday, when American forces destroyed three Iranian oil tankers after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard attempted to attack a U.S. aircraft carrier and destroyer with ballistic missiles.
U.S. officials had warned that Iran’s oil fleet could face further attacks if Tehran continued targeting American naval forces.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington would continue responding to Iranian attacks.
“Iran continues to try to hit U.S. naval ships. And for every time they do that or try to do that, they’re going to lose tankers,” Rubio told reporters Tuesday during a trip to Colombia.
Iranian state television reported that U.S. forces attacked Iranian oil tankers near the southern port of Jask and near Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf. The crews were reportedly evacuated.
An Iranian state television reporter in Jask said one tanker was struck near the coast of Yekbeni. State television later reported that a second tanker was attacked in waters off Jask, while another was hit near the anchorage area of Kharg Island.
Tensions around Strait of Hormuz
The confrontation is also intensifying around the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial global oil shipping route through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil passed before the war began.
Both Washington and Tehran are seeking greater control over shipping through the strategic waterway.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Navy on Tuesday warned crews aboard oil tankers near ports in Kuwait and Bahrain to leave their vessels immediately. It said the ships could become targets in retaliation for U.S. attacks on Iranian tankers.
The Revolutionary Guard accused Kuwait and Bahrain of hosting U.S. forces and supporting American military operations.
Meanwhile, a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports has put additional pressure on Tehran’s economy by restricting oil exports. The U.S. military has also been assisting a limited number of ships seeking to transit the Strait of Hormuz through a route near Oman.
Tehran has demanded that ships use a route designated by Iran through the strait, which was regarded as an international waterway before the war.
Global economic concerns
The continuing military exchanges are raising concerns about the wider economic consequences of the conflict, particularly because of the importance of the Strait of Hormuz to global energy supplies.
International benchmark Brent crude briefly rose to $99.46 a barrel on Tuesday, reflecting growing concerns about disruptions to oil shipments.
Danny Citrinowicz, an Iran expert at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, warned that continued attacks and retaliation could lead to further escalation and increase pressure on the global economy.
With Washington and Tehran showing no immediate signs of backing down, the latest strikes have heightened fears that the conflict could enter another more dangerous phase.
