US destroys five Iranian tankers after missile attempts on warship

The US military announced that it destroyed five Iranian oil tankers on Tuesday. The action came after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps attempted to hit a US Navy warship with ballistic missiles twice in the previous two days, according to US Central Command.

CENTCOM said the warship evaded both attacks and no American personnel were harmed. It ordered the crews to abandon ship before striking the tankers: Kaviz, Charminar, Horizon 1, Riesco in the Gulf of Oman, and Derya near Kharg Island in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian state media reported explosions near the port of Jask and Kharg Island, both key oil export points. An Iranian tanker was said to be struck near Yekbeni, and another in the Kharg Island anchorage area. There were no immediate reports of casualties from the tanker strikes.

Following the US action, Iran launched missiles toward American targets in Jordan, according to Iranian state-run media. Jordan's military said its air defenses intercepted 18 of 20 ballistic missiles, with two falling in unpopulated areas, and reported no casualties.

The IRGC also claimed to have targeted two US ships, eight oil tankers, and ten other vessels attempting to pass through what it called a prohibited zone in the Strait of Hormuz. US CENTCOM dismissed those claims as false.

Earlier on Wednesday, the IRGC warned oil tankers near ports in Kuwait and Bahrain to leave their vessels, saying they could be targeted. The US had destroyed three Iranian tankers on Saturday after similar missile attacks on its warships, according to the reports.