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US forces hit five Iranian tankers as Tehran targets American base in Jordan
BBC • • general
Key Points:
- US forces struck five Iranian oil tankers linked to the Revolutionary Guards Corps in the Gulf of Oman and near Kharg Island in retaliation for Iran targeting an American warship twice in recent days, according to US Central Command.
- In response, Iran launched missiles at a US base in Jordan, but Jordanian air defenses intercepted 18 of the 20 missiles, with two falling in unpopulated areas.
- The escalation follows ongoing tit-for-tat attacks between the US and Iran, including a recent ballistic missile attack on a US warship that was successfully evaded with no American casualties.
- Iran has warned of further retaliatory strikes and urged crews of US-linked tankers near Kuwait and Bahrain to leave immediately, while the US described the targeted tankers as part of a network funding the IRGC and its proxies.
- The conflict has impacted oil markets, with Brent crude and US-traded oil prices rising by around 1.5%, amid disruptions caused by missile and drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities.
