US destroys five Iranian oil tankers after IRGC missile attacks

US forces destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) twice targeted a US navy warship with ballistic missiles, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Tuesday, escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran over the Strait of Hormuz. The US Central Command said the warship successfully evaded the attacks and continued patrolling regional waters, with no American personnel injured. CENTCOM said its forces struck and rendered inoperable four Iranian crude oil carriers — Kaviz, Charminar, Horizon 1 and Riesco — in the Gulf of Oman, while a fifth, Derya, was destroyed near Iran’s Kharg Island. The US military said crews were warned to abandon the vessels before the strikes were carried out. The latest attacks followed similar US action against three Iranian crude oil carriers on Saturday after the IRGC allegedly attempted to target a US aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran would continue to lose tankers whenever it attempted to strike American naval vessels. “Iran continues to try to hit US naval ships, and for every time they do that or try to do that, ​they’re going to lose tankers, ” Rubio told reporters during a visit to Colombia. Iranian media reported that at least one tanker was struck near the anchorage area of Kharg Island, while two other oil tankers came under attack near the port of Jask. Crews were evacuated from the vessels, with no casualties reported. Iran retaliates Iran responded to the latest US strikes with a ballistic missile attack targeting a US military base near Al Azraq in Jordan, according to a statement attributed to the IRGC and carried by Iranian state media. Iranian media also broadcast footage it said showed missiles being launched towards Jordan. Although Iran said its missiles inflicted ​heavy damage, Jordan said its air defences intercepted 18 of the 20 Iranian missiles, with two falling in unpopulated areas, and that there were no casualties. CENTCOM did not immediately comment on the Iranian claim. Mehr news agency, meanwhile, quoted the IRGC as warning tanker crews at ports in Kuwait and Bahrain to leave their vessels, saying they could be targeted. A separate IRGC statement said it also attacked two US destroyers, state media reported. The US military had yet to respond to the reports. Iran also threatened to target oil tankers in Kuwaiti and Bahraini ports, according to a statement carried by state media. A maritime security source reported a liquefied natural gas tanker was damaged in the Emirati port of Khor Fakkan, though it was unclear who was responsible. The latest escalation comes as tensions between Washington and Tehran continue to rise despite previous efforts to revive diplomacy and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global energy shipments.

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