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

The U.S. military said it struck five Iranian oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman and off Kharg Island after accusing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of launching ballistic missiles at a U.S. warship on two consecutive days. U.S. Central Command said the vessel avoided the attempted attacks and that no American personnel were injured. It added that crews were told to abandon the tankers before U.S. forces rendered the vessels inoperable.

Central Command identified the ships as M/T Kaviz, M/T Charminar, M/T Horizon 1 and M/T Riesco in the Gulf of Oman, and M/T Derya near Kharg Island. Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB confirmed an attack near Kharg — a major export hub before the conflict — and said crews were evacuated; it also reported a second tanker was struck near the southern port of Jask. The IRGC said “several” commercial vessels were hit.

Tehran responded by firing missiles at the Al Azraq base in Jordan, according to Iranian statements. Jordan’s Armed Forces said its air defences engaged 20 ballistic missiles, intercepting and destroying 18; the remaining two fell in unpopulated areas. Jordan reported no casualties and said specialised teams were securing locations where debris and shrapnel fell. The IRGC claimed it damaged U.S. hangars and struck U.S. destroyers DDG-119 and DDG-53, saying those vessels suffered significant damage — assertions the U.S. statement did not confirm.

The exchanges occur amid broader confrontation in the Gulf, with Iran maintaining a closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the U.S. enforcing a naval blockade on Iranian ports, developments that briefly lifted oil prices to about $99.46 earlier on Tuesday. The IRGC also warned crews of tankers in Kuwaiti and Bahraini ports to abandon ship, while a U.S. official, Marco Rubio, said Washington would continue to strike Iranian vessels in response to attacks on U.S. naval forces.