US strikes Iranian oil tankers as Tehran targets American base in Jordan
Oil prices edged closer to $100 a barrel after an escalation in the tit-for-tat strikes between the US and Iran.
US forces targeted five Iranian tankers in response to Tehran targeting an American warship twice within two days, according to US Central Command. Four of the targeted tankers belonged to Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps and were in the Gulf of Oman, while the fifth was near Kharg Island, a major oil terminal. Tehran retaliated by launching missiles at a US base in Jordan, though Jordan shot down 18 of the 20 Iranian missiles.
Iran claims it has seized an uncrewed US submarine in the Strait of Hormuz, but the US Navy says it malfunctioned and was used for surveying purposes. Oil prices rose in early Asian trading, with Brent crude increasing by 1.5% to $99.41 per barrel and US-traded oil up 1.6% to $94.55. Iran warned of further retaliatory strikes, urging US-linked tankers near Kuwait and Bahrain to leave their vessels immediately.
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