2 US vessels hit after 5 Iranian oil tankers destroyed: How the war escalated again | World News - Hindustan Times

**U.S. Navy Confirms Destruction of Five Iranian Oil Tankers Following Attack on Warship** Washington reported on Sunday that naval forces in the Gulf of Oman successfully engaged and sank five Iranian‑flagged oil tankers that were suspected of supporting hostile operations against U.S. assets. The strikes, carried out by surface combatants and air‑launched missiles, were described as “precision engagements” aimed at preventing the transport of fuel to Iranian proxy forces operating in the region. The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said the tankers were part of a convoy that had been warned to alter its course after a prior incident in which an Iranian fast‑attack craft fired upon the U.S. destroyer *USS Farragut* earlier in the week.

In retaliation, Iranian forces launched a series of missile and drone attacks targeting two American‑operated vessels anchored near the Jordanian port of Aqaba. According to the Jordanian Ministry of Defense, the projectiles struck the *MV Cairo* and the *USNS Patriot* without causing casualties, though both ships sustained structural damage that will require repairs. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) released footage claiming responsibility and framed the strikes as a “defensive response” to what it termed an “unprovoked aggression” by the United States against Iranian commercial shipping.

The exchange marks the most serious escalation in the West Asian maritime theater since the U.S. withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Diplomatic channels are now under pressure, with the United Nations urging restraint while regional allies such as Saudi Arabia and Israel have expressed support for further U.S. action. Analysts caution that continued tit‑for‑tat engagements could threaten the free flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint that handles roughly a fifth of global petroleum shipments, and potentially draw neighboring states into a broader conflict.

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