The United States military has destroyed five Iranian oil tankers, according to reports from Chinese financial news outlet 东方财富网. In a separate escalation, Iran has also launched a strike on a US military base in Jordan, the outlet reported on Wednesday.
The reports, which cite information from the US Central Command via Sohu, indicate the tankers were carrying crude oil. The operation was confirmed by the US military command responsible for the Middle East region. The strikes appear to be part of a broader pattern of reciprocal attacks between Washington and Tehran.
东方财富网 reports that the two nations have been trading blows over oil shipping routes. Iranian military officials have warned that they may respond with even larger attacks against US interests, according to 新京报. The warning suggests that the current exchange of fire may not be the final word in this confrontation.
Additional reporting from 华尔街见闻 indicates that the US missile attack targeted vessels near Kharg Island, a key Iranian oil terminal. That same report notes that Iran has issued warnings about potential strikes on oil tankers in ports belonging to Kuwait and Bahrain, two US allies in the region. The warnings raise the stakes for commercial shipping in the Persian Gulf.
The escalation comes alongside ongoing tensions involving Russia and Ukraine. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has made recent public statements addressing both the US-Iran conflict and the situation in Ukraine, according to 新浪网. His comments suggest the administration is managing multiple concurrent international crises.
The situation remains fluid, with both militaries showing a willingness to strike at each other’s assets and allies. The key question now is whether Iran’s threatened larger-scale response will materialize, and how the US will answer if it does.
