US destroys Iranian oil tankers as Gulf crisis escalates

Photo — Ojas Narappanawar / Pexels

According to major wire and broadcast outlets, the U.S. military reports it destroyed five Iranian crude oil tankers following missile attacks on a U.S. Navy warship attributed to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, marking a significant escalation in direct U.S.–Iran confrontation in and around the Persian Gulf. Iran’s forces are simultaneously declaring broader restricted operating zones in the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea, effectively tightening their leverage over critical maritime chokepoints through which a large share of the world’s oil flows. In parallel, oil prices have surged above $100 per barrel for the first time in months as markets react to the risk of disrupted energy supplies and possible further military exchanges involving U.S. assets, Iranian proxies, and regional states such as Jordan. Diplomats are warning that the episode could rapidly expand into a wider Middle East crisis, with knock-on effects for global inflation, shipping insurance costs, and energy security debates in Europe and Asia.

Sources: Associated Press, Al Jazeera, NBC News, The Guardian, New York Times, CNN, Reuters, BBC News