US destroys five Iranian tankers, Iran retaliates with attacks on Jordan

In practice, the United States has asserted attacks on five Iranian oil tankers after accusing Iran of launching ballistic missiles at a US warship twice in two days.

Key points

• In an official note, the US Central Command remarked Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had targeted a US warship twice over the past two days.
• Jordan's Armed Forces, meanwhile, remarked its air defences engaged 20 ballistic missiles, "successfully intercepting and destroying 18 of them".
• Earlier, the chief of staff of Iran's Armed Forces, Ali Abdollahi, had cautioned that Tehran would strike US military installations throughout the region if Iranian tankers were targeted.
• The hostilities briefly drove oil rates to $99.46 earlier on Tuesday.
• Iran responded to the attacks on Tuesday by firing missiles at US forces stationed at the Al Azraq base in Jordan.

Iran responded to the attacks on Tuesday by firing missiles at US forces stationed at the Al Azraq base in Jordan. While the rest fell in open areas, amman remarked its air defences intercepted and destroyed 18 of 20 Iranian missiles.

Notably, the exchange of fire comes against the backdrop of escalating tensions in the Gulf, six months into the US and Israel's war on Iran, with Tehran closing the Strait of Hormuz and Washington imposing a naval blockade on Iranian ports.

In practice, the hostilities briefly drove oil rates to $99.46 earlier on Tuesday.

In an official note, the US Central Command remarked Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had targeted a US warship twice over the past two days. The warship "successfully evaded the attempted Iranian attacks" and "no American personnel were harmed", it remarked.

For context, the Central Command remarked it retaliated by destroying the Iranian oil carriers, M/T Kaviz, M/T Charminar, M/T Horizon 1, and M/T Riesco in the Gulf of Oman as well as M/T Derya near Kharg Island.

"American forces directed the crews to abandon ship before the vessels were struck and rendered inoperable, " the Central Command continued.

Iran's IRIB state broadcaster confirmed the attack near Kharg Island in the Gulf. It handled some 90 percent of Iran's oil exports before the war.

It documented that the crew was evacuated and stated a second tanker was hit near the southern port of Jask on the Gulf of Oman.

Meanwhile, the IRGC additionally stated "several" Iranian commercial ships were hit, and noted it retaliated by subjecting Al Azraq base in Jordan to "fierce missile strikes". It asserted hangars employed by US fighter jets were destroyed in the ballistic missile attacks.

It additionally threatened to target oil tankers in Kuwaiti and Bahraini ports, warning crews there to evacuate immediately.

Jordan's Armed Forces, meanwhile, remarked its air defences engaged 20 ballistic missiles, "successfully intercepting and destroying 18 of them". Two missiles "fell in unpopulated areas, " it remarked in an official note.

Meanwhile, the attacks did not cause any casualties and specialised teams "have begun securing the locations where debris and shrapnel fell, " it continued.

"The US aggressor army has given Iranian oil tankers an evacuation warning to hit them, so I announce that any attack on Iranian oil tankers will result in the targeting of US bases in the region by the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, " Abdollahi remarked on state TV.

For now, US destroys five Iranian tankers, Iran retaliates with attacks on Jordan remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.