Iran, US unleash biggest attack wave on shipping in dangerous escalation

Iran and the US traded strikes on tankers and ships around the Strait of Hormuz after Washington said it destroyed five Iranian oil tankers. The escalation has disrupted a key oil route, raised crude prices above $100 and widened regional energy fears.

In Short

• Iran and US trade attacks on tankers near Strait of Hormuz
• Iran hit 10 ships after US destroyed five Iranian tankers
• Saudi-Houthi conflict adds to Middle East energy risks

The war in the Middle East has entered a dangerous new phase, with Iran and the US trading attacks across the region. In the biggest wave of attacks on commercial vessels since the conflict began in February, both sides have struck tankers around the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran said it attacked 10 ships on Wednesday after the US destroyed five Iranian oil tankers, unleashing a big escalation at sea. Iran also said it had fired ballistic missiles at a base used by US forces in Jordan. The strikes have already claimed at least one seafarer's life and left another missing. The immediate impact was felt in oil markets. Brent crude climbed above $100 a barrel for the first time since July.

The US military said its strikes on five Iranian oil tankers were carried out in response to attacks by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on a US Navy warship. Washington released video footage showing tankers engulfed in flames before sinking. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the policy of targeting Iranian vessels.

"Iran continues to try to hit US naval ships, and for every time they do that or try to do that, they're going to lose tankers," Rubio said during a visit to Colombia.

Iran subsequently said it had attacked two US ships and eight tankers. Reports later emerged of vessels being damaged or struck in waters around the Gulf and Gulf of Oman.

At least one seafarer was reported killed aboard the oil products tanker Hercules Star while another crew member was missing. A separate tanker, the New Andros, reportedly caught fire in Iraqi waters after being struck by a drone. No casualties were reported among its 22 crew members.

IRAN THREATENS SHARPER RESPONSE

Iran's Revolutionary Guards warned that the latest attacks would trigger a much stronger response if the US continued striking Iranian targets. The Guards said that if the enemy attacked two or three Iranian targets, Tehran would respond by hitting 20. Iran also threatened to establish a much larger restricted maritime zone extending into the Arabian Gulf.

The escalation has made the Strait of Hormuz increasingly difficult to navigate. The waterway normally carries roughly a fifth of the world's oil, making any sustained disruption a direct threat to global energy supplies.

Iran has largely choked off transit through the strait, while Washington has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports and said it has been helping some tankers pass through.

SECOND FRONT ADDS TO ENERGY FEARS

The shipping crisis is unfolding alongside a renewed confrontation between Saudi Arabia and Iran-aligned Houthi forces in Yemen, creating another threat to Middle Eastern energy routes.

The Houthis recently attacked four Saudi cities, with fires reported at oil facilities and Saudi authorities saying 73 people were wounded. Riyadh has responded with strikes against Houthi-held areas, according to news agency Reuters.

As attacks spread from military targets to vital shipping lanes and oil infrastructure, the tanker strikes have opened a dangerous new front in the war, putting global energy supplies increasingly at risk.

- Ends
With inputs from Reuters