West Asia conflict LIVE: U.S. says it destroyed five Iranian oil tankers after attacks on American warship - The Hindu

**U.S. Military Action Against Iranian Tankers Escalates West Asian Tensions** Washington announced that its forces had destroyed five Iranian‑owned oil tankers in the Persian Gulf following a series of attacks on a U.S. warship earlier this week. The strikes were carried out by U.S. Navy aircraft and surface vessels operating near Iran’s Kharg Island, a key hub for the nation’s petroleum exports. According to the Pentagon, the tankers were targeted because they were being used to transport fuel to Iranian naval units that had recently engaged the U.S. ship. The statement, reported by *The Hindu* and corroborated by *Al Jazeera*, came amid a broader surge in hostilities that has drawn in regional actors on both sides of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) responded by launching a missile and drone barrage at a U.S. forward operating base in Jordan, an attack that the IRGC described as retaliation for the tanker strikes. The assault caused minor structural damage but no U.S. casualties, according to the U.S. Central Command. At the same time, the Yemen‑based Houthi movement intensified its campaign against commercial shipping, claiming responsibility for blasts near Kharg Island and warning that it would continue to target vessels it deems linked to the United States or its allies. The *Times of India* and NDTV reported on the Iranian media confirming a missile strike that hit a tanker off Kharg Island, though Tehran denied that any of its vessels were destroyed.

The cumulative effect of the confrontations has rippled through global oil markets. Bloomberg noted that crude prices jumped after news of the Houthi attacks and the U.S. strikes on Iranian tankers, reflecting investor concerns over potential disruptions to the flow of Persian Gulf oil. Diplomatic channels remain strained, with Washington urging Iran to cease hostile actions and Tehran accusing the United States of unlawful aggression. Analysts warn that further escalation could jeopardize the stability of a region already fraught with proxy conflicts and could prompt broader international involvement.