U.S. destroys five Iranian tankers as Iran strikes Jordan

U.S. Central Command said the Iranian Revolutionary Guard attempted to strike a U.S. warship twice over two days, but the vessel evaded the attacks and no American personnel were injured. The United States subsequently destroyed the Kivik, Charminar, Horizon 1 and Riesco in the Gulf of Oman and the Derya near Iran’s Kharg Island, according to the military. The crews were instructed to abandon the vessels before the strikes. Iran’s state media confirmed attacks on tankers near the southern port of Jask and Kharg Island.

Iran then launched ballistic missiles toward U.S. targets in Jordan, according to Iranian state media. Jordan’s military said its air defenses intercepted 18 of 20 missiles, while two landed in unpopulated areas and no casualties were reported. The latest exchange follows earlier U.S. strikes on three Iranian tankers and comes as Washington and Tehran compete for control of shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz, through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil passed before the war. Brent crude briefly approached $100 a barrel amid concerns over disruptions to global energy supplies.