US destroys five Iranian tankers as Tehran takes aim at Jordan

U.S. Central Command announced that on Tuesday American forces destroyed five Iranian oil tankers—named Kivik, Charminar, Horizon 1, Riesco and Derya—after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fired ballistic missiles at a U.S. Navy warship twice within two days. Crews aboard all five vessels were warned to abandon ship before the strikes, and the targeted warship evaded the attacks without casualties. Iranian state‑affiliated media confirmed that one tanker was hit near Jask and another four miles off Kharg Island, while a commercial vessel was also reported attacked in Jask county waters; local sources said the Kharg incident caused no injuries.

The tanker destructions prompted Tehran to launch missile strikes on U.S. targets in Jordan, where the Jordanian military said its air‑defence systems intercepted 18 ballistic missiles and two landed in uninhabited areas, resulting in no casualties. In response, the IRGC warned tanker crews operating near the ports of Kuwait and Bahrain to leave their vessels immediately, labeling the United States as “terrorist” and threatening retaliation against U.S. bases in the region. Major General Abdollahi of the Khatam al‑Anbiya central command declared that any further attack on Iranian tankers would lead to strikes on U.S. installations, underscoring the heightened tit‑for‑tat escalation.

The episode coincided with Iran’s claim of capturing a U.S. unmanned underwater vehicle at the Strait of Hormuz entrance and broadcasting footage of the seized drone, while the Trump administration announced new sanctions on more than two dozen Iranian airlines and cargo firms to further isolate Tehran. The exchange marks one of the sharpest escalations since the June framework deal collapsed, reflecting both sides’ struggle for control over the Strait of Hormuz—a chokepoint through which roughly one‑fifth of global oil trade passed before the war began. The United States continues to enforce a naval blockade of Iranian ports, while Iran seeks to impose its own transit regime, raising the risk of broader regional confrontation.

⚡ Effects Interpreter