Iran-US war escalates with attacks on 10 ships near Strait of Hormuz

The escalating war between Iran and the United States has intensified with attacks on at least 15 vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, driving oil prices above $100 a barrel. Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed responsibility for targeting ten ships, including two US vessels and eight oil tankers, following the US military's destruction of five Iranian oil tankers overnight.

The attacks have disrupted vital global energy supplies, as the Strait of Hormuz allows for roughly one-fifth of all oil shipments. At least one seafarer lost their life and another remains missing after the incident involving the Hercules Star tanker near Dubai. The British maritime security agency UKMTO reported several other merchant vessels struck by disabling fire in the northern Gulf and Gulf of Oman.

The attacks sent Brent crude futures soaring above $100 a barrel for the first time since July, while the average US retail price of diesel hit a record high of over $5.94 a gallon. The US military stated that no American personnel were injured in the incidents. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio vowed that the US would continue to target Iranian tankers in retaliation for the attacks.

Meanwhile, Jordan reported successfully intercepting 18 ballistic missiles fired by Iran, with two others falling harmlessly in unpopulated areas. Iran's Revolutionary Guard threatened a sharper response to any further attacks and hinted at the soon release of maps marking a larger maritime zone deemed off-limits. US President Donald Trump predicted that the conflict would end after the November midterm elections, but administration officials warned that it could persist well beyond his presidency, which concludes in January 2029.

The renewed fighting coincides with heightened hostilities between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthi movement, further threatening energy supplies from the Middle East.