Iran said Wednesday it attacked 10 ships near the Strait of Hormuz — including two U.S. vessels and eight oil tankers — after the U.S. military destroyed five Iranian oil tankers, in the biggest declared tit-for-tat shipping assault since the six-month war began.
Brent crude, the global benchmark, briefly traded at $100 a barrel for the first time since July as markets priced in prolonged supply risk. U.S. crude climbed as well.
U.S. Central Command said it struck five Iranian crude carriers on Tuesday after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard twice targeted a U.S. Navy warship with ballistic missiles over two days. CENTCOM released video of vessels ablaze and said no Americans were harmed. Named hulls included Riesco, Kivik, Charminar, Horizon 1, and Derya near Kharg Island.
Iran also fired ballistic missiles at a U.S.-used base near Al Azraq in Jordan. Jordan said it intercepted 18 of 20 missiles; two fell in unpopulated areas with no casualties. Maritime reports added civilian toll: one seafarer killed aboard the Hercules Star off Dubai, another missing; the New Andros fuel-oil tanker caught fire in Iraqi waters with 22 crew reported safe.
The IRGC threatened a much larger off-limits zone and said if the enemy hits two or three Iranian targets, Iran will hit 20. Secretary of State Marco Rubio framed the U.S. tanker strikes as standing policy: try to hit American warships, lose tankers.
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