U.S. Strikes Iranian Tankers, Sinking One; Iran Fires Missile Barrage at Jordan
The U.S. military struck five Iranian oil tankers on Tuesday, sinking one, after Iranian forces fired ballistic missiles at a U.S. Navy warship — the latest flashpoint in Washington’s campaign to cut off Tehran’s oil revenue.
U.S. Central Command said four tankers were hit in the Gulf of Oman and a fifth near Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export hub in the Persian Gulf. Video posted by the U.S. military to X showed the M/T Riesco on fire and sinking. CENTCOM said crews aboard the targeted vessels were ordered to abandon ship before the strikes, and Iranian state media said the crews of two vessels had been brought ashore in lifeboats.
The American operation was retaliation for two Iranian missile attacks against a U.S. Navy ship over the past two days. The Navy vessel evaded the missiles and remained on patrol, CENTCOM said, adding that no U.S. personnel were harmed.
Tuesday’s strikes reflected a U.S. strategy that has moved beyond sanctions to direct military pressure around the Strait of Hormuz, including escort operations for commercial ships and a naval blockade on Iranian ports. By hitting five more tankers, Washington made clear it is prepared to act directly against Iran’s revenue lifeline.
Iran’s response came not at sea but in the skies over Jordan. Iranian forces fired a barrage of ballistic missiles at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, a facility used by U.S. troops. Jordan’s army said its air defenses destroyed 18 of the 20 incoming missiles, with the remaining two landing in unpopulated areas. No deaths were reported.
The flare-up follows a weekend in which U.S. forces hit three Iranian crude carriers after an Iranian attempt to strike a U.S. aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer. The latest strikes bring the number of Iranian tankers targeted in the current confrontation to at least eight.
The missile attack on Jordan marked a significant shift in scope, according to shipping intelligence and tracking firm Marisks. “This represents a significant geographic expansion of direct Iranian military activity and demonstrates the growing risk of the conflict spilling beyond the principal belligerents,” Marisks said in an update on Wednesday.
Hamidreza Azizi, senior Iran analyst at the International Crisis Group, said Iran’s repeated attempts to hit U.S. warships and the rising quality and quantity of missiles it has fired at U.S. targets pointed to “a pattern of gradual escalation.” He posted the assessment on X.
Iran also extended its threats to Persian Gulf allies. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned crews aboard oil tankers near Kuwait and Bahrain to leave their vessels immediately, saying the ships could be targeted. State broadcaster IRIB quoted the IRGC as saying the two countries host American forces and “are partners in their hostile actions.”
Azizi noted that attacking tankers in regional ports, rather than vessels attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, would be unprecedented.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a blunt warning during a trip to Colombia. “Iran continues to try to hit U.S. naval ships, and for every time they do that, or try to do that, they’re going to lose tankers,” he told reporters in Barranquilla.
In a further effort to tighten the screws, the Trump administration announced new sanctions Tuesday on 27 Iranian airlines and nine service providers and sales agents accused of assisting Mahan Air. The airline, under U.S. sanctions since 2011, has long been accused of supporting the Revolutionary Guard.
The combined military and economic pressure has added to the strain on Iran’s population. Tehran, however, continues to project defiance. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi mocked the latest U.S. moves, writing on X: “After Washington failed to achieve its objectives through either sanctions or war, its ‘innovative’ solution is: more sanctions!! Are you serious?!!”
The cycle of tit-for-tat strikes has raised the stakes for all sides. Rubio’s promise of further tanker losses suggests Washington intends to keep pressing, while Iran’s missile launches at Jordan and its threats toward Gulf ports show that the response may continue to widen.