Iran and the United States have sharply escalated attacks on shipping in and around theStrait of Hormuz, with Tehran claiming it struck 10 vessels after the US sank five Iranianoil tankers.
The latest wave of attacks represents the largest reported series of reciprocal strikes against maritime targets since the war began six months ago.
The attacks sent oil prices sharply higher, with international benchmark Brent cruderising above $100 a barrel for the first time since July.
At least one seafarer was reported killed and another remains missing.
Iran also said it had launched ballistic missiles at a base used by US forces in Jordan, adding to a wider escalation that has seen both sides target military, shipping and energy infrastructure since late August.
Iran threatens wider maritime blockade
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned that it would significantly escalate its response to any further attacks.
The IRGC said that if its adversary struck two or three Iranian targets, Iran wouldrespond by hitting 20.
It also said it would soon publish maps showing a new and significantly expanded maritime exclusion zone extending towards the Gulf of Oman, off Chabahar on Iran’s eastern coast near the border with Pakistan.
The latest developments come as fighting between Saudi Arabia and Iran-backed Houthiforces in Yemen has also intensified, creating a second front that threatens energysupplies from the Middle East.
Tankers engulfed in flames
The United States said it had destroyed five Iranian oil tankers overnight, releasing footage purporting to show the vessels on fire before sinking.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the strikes were carried out in response toattacks by the IRGC on a US warship, which Washington said had been targeted twicewith ballistic missiles over the previous two days.
The US said no American personnel were injured.
Washington has announced a new policy of striking Iranian tankers in retaliation for attacks threatening US warships.
Iran, meanwhile, claims it is using new and more advanced missiles against American vessels.
“Iran continues to try to hit US warships and for every time they do or try to do it, they will lose tankers,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters during a visit to Colombia.
Ships reported hit across Gulf waters
After Iran announced its retaliatory attacks, claiming to have hit two US vessels andeight tankers, reports emerged of strikes against ships in waters near severalneighbouring countries.
One seafarer was killed aboard the petroleum products tanker Hercules Star while it was anchored off Dubai, while another crew member remains missing, according to Peninsula, the vessel’s charterer.
Maritime security sources said the ship may have been hit by a drone.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said a vessel in the area was listing and may have suffered water ingress following a missile strike. It was not immediately possible to establish whether the vessel was the Hercules Star.
Two Iraqi port officials said the tanker New Andros, which was carrying two million barrels of fuel oil, caught fire after being struck by a drone in Iraqi territorial waters.
No casualties were reported among its 22 crew members.
UKMTO said it had received reports of several commercial vessels being hit by fire intended to disable them in the northern Gulf and Gulf of Oman, on either side of theStrait of Hormuz.
The agency said it could not immediately confirm any casualties or environmentalimpact.
Iran also threatened oil tankers in ports in Kuwait and Bahrain, according to a statement carried by Iranian state media.
A maritime security source said an LNG tanker was damaged at Khor Fakkan port in the United Arab Emirates.
Iran launches missiles at Jordan
The IRGC also announced on Wednesday that it had launched ballistic missiles at a baseused by US forces near Al-Azraq in eastern Jordan.
Jordan said its air defences intercepted 18 of 20 Iranian missiles, while two landed in uninhabited areas.
No casualties were reported.
A US official said the Iranian attack in Jordan had been ineffective and that all American troops had been accounted for and were safe.
Strait of Hormuz under mounting pressure
Iran has significantly restricted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy route through which around one-fifth of the world’s oil was transported before the war.
Washington has responded by blockading Iranian ports and says it has managed to guide a number of tankers through the strait.
Independent observers, however, say it is becoming increasingly difficult to determine how much oil is still moving through the waterway.
Preliminary data indicated that only six vessels had crossed the strait during the previous 24 hours with their transponders switched on.
The escalation between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthi movement, whichcontrols much of Yemen’s populated territory, has added further uncertainty to global energy markets.
With attacks now affecting shipping routes on multiple fronts, concerns are growingover the potential impact on oil supplies, tanker movements and the wider global economy.
