Iran Retaliates After US Strikes on Five Oil Tankers, Targets US Base in Jordan
TEHRAN, IRAN — WEB DESK: Iran launched a new wave of retaliatory military actions after US forces said they destroyed five Iranian crude oil tankers, with Tehran firing ballistic missiles toward a US military base in Jordan and claiming attacks on American naval vessels as the confrontation between the two countries intensified.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it targeted the Al Azraq base in Jordan, which hosts US military personnel, with ballistic missiles. Iranian-linked reporting also claimed two US Navy destroyers had been targeted.
The latest exchanges represent another dangerous escalation in a conflict increasingly involving military installations, naval vessels, commercial shipping and energy infrastructure.
US Says It Destroyed Five Iranian Oil Tankers
The retaliation followed an announcement from US Central Command that American forces had destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers on September 8.
CENTCOM said the operation followed two attempts by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards to target a US Navy warship with ballistic missiles over the preceding two days.
According to the US military, the American warship successfully avoided the attempted Iranian attacks and no US personnel were injured.
Washington has presented its attacks on Iranian tankers as part of a broader effort to pressure Tehran and disrupt oil-related financing linked to the IRGC.
Iran Fires 20 Missiles Toward Jordan
Iran then retaliated against the US military presence at Al Azraq in Jordan.
Jordan’s military said Iran launched 20 missiles, of which 18 were intercepted, while the remaining two landed outside populated areas. No casualties were reported.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, however, claimed the attack inflicted significant damage on its intended targets.
Those claims were disputed by Jordanian and US accounts. Reuters reported that US officials described the strikes as ineffective, while Jordan said most of the missiles had been intercepted.
The differing accounts mean claims of extensive damage should not be treated as independently established.
Iran Says US Fighter Jet Hangars Were Targeted
Iranian media said the missile operation targeted hangars used for US F-35 and F-15 aircraft at the Jordanian base.
However, independent confirmation that those hangars were successfully hit was not immediately available.
This distinction is important because Iranian reporting describes the intended targets, while Jordan’s military says 18 of the 20 incoming missiles were intercepted.
The safest verified conclusion is therefore that Iran launched ballistic missiles toward the base, not that specific US aircraft or hangars were destroyed.
Two US Navy Destroyers Also Targeted, Iran Claims
The Revolutionary Guards also claimed Iranian missiles targeted two US Navy destroyers during the retaliatory operation.
Details about the vessels and any resulting damage were not immediately established in the initial Iranian report.
Iran subsequently expanded its maritime claims, saying it had attacked 10 ships near the Strait of Hormuz, including two US vessels and eight oil tankers. Reuters independently reported the Iranian claim while noting the wider escalation around the strategic waterway.
The identities and condition of all the ships involved have not been independently established.
Iran Warns Tankers Near Kuwait and Bahrain
The Iranian response has also extended to commercial shipping.
Iranian naval authorities warned crews aboard oil tankers near ports in Kuwait and Bahrain to leave locations where US personnel are present, according to the Express live report.
The warning raises concerns that commercial energy infrastructure and shipping could increasingly become entangled in the military confrontation.
Iran has also threatened broader restrictions on maritime activity in Gulf waters as Washington attempts to pressure Tehran’s oil exports.
Strait of Hormuz Becomes Central Battleground
The escalation is particularly significant because it is unfolding around the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy corridors.
The waterway connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea and normally carries a major share of internationally traded crude oil and petroleum products.
Commercial shipping through the Strait has fallen sharply during the conflict, increasing concern among oil traders, shipping companies and governments.
Iran’s attacks and threats against vessels, combined with US operations against Iranian oil tankers, have transformed maritime energy flows into a central element of the conflict.
Houthis Attack Saudi Arabia
The crisis is also spreading beyond direct US-Iran exchanges.
Iran-aligned Houthi forces launched a major series of drone and missile attacks against Saudi Arabia, hitting cities and energy infrastructure.
Reuters reported that 73 people were injured in the attacks, which were among the largest Houthi strikes against Saudi Arabia since the current conflict began.
The attacks are significant for energy markets because Saudi Arabia has been attempting to redirect oil exports away from the Strait of Hormuz.
Damage or prolonged disruption to alternative Saudi export infrastructure could further reduce the Gulf’s ability to maintain global crude supplies.
Oil Prices Approach $100
The escalation has already affected global markets.
Brent crude moved toward $100 per barrel on Wednesday as traders assessed the risk of deeper supply disruption from the Middle East.
Reuters reported Brent at $99.22 per barrel in an early Wednesday snapshot, while US West Texas Intermediate rose to $94.13.
Prices have climbed sharply since early August as hopes for a lasting settlement have faded and attacks on oil tankers, shipping routes and energy infrastructure have intensified.
The prospect of disruption affecting both Hormuz and alternative Gulf export routes has added a substantial geopolitical premium to crude prices.
Energy War Becoming Part of Wider Conflict
The latest developments underline how the US-Iran confrontation is increasingly becoming an economic and energy conflict as well as a military one.
Washington has targeted Iranian oil shipments while Iran has threatened US-linked energy interests and commercial shipping.
The conflict therefore has consequences extending far beyond the battlefield.
Any sustained disruption to Gulf exports could affect crude prices, tanker insurance, freight rates, fuel costs and inflation across energy-importing economies.
Asian economies are particularly exposed because of their dependence on imported Middle Eastern oil.
Conflicting Claims Require Caution
Military information from both sides remains difficult to independently verify.
The US says its warship successfully evaded Iranian ballistic missiles before American forces destroyed five Iranian tankers.
Iran says its subsequent retaliation caused substantial damage to US targets.
Jordan, however, says 18 of the 20 missiles fired toward its territory were intercepted and no casualties occurred.
Similarly, Iran’s claims that two US destroyers and multiple vessels around Hormuz were targeted do not by themselves establish the extent of any damage.
For publication, claims of successful strikes should therefore remain clearly attributed to the government or military making them.
Risk of Wider Regional War Grows
The sequence of events demonstrates how rapidly retaliation is now escalating.
US forces strike Iranian oil tankers; Iran responds against American military and maritime targets; Iran-aligned Houthis strike Saudi Arabia; and regional air-defence systems are activated against incoming missiles and drones.
Each new attack increases the risk of further retaliation.
The immediate focus will now be on whether Washington launches another military response, whether Tehran expands attacks against US-linked shipping, and whether regional governments become more deeply involved.
For global markets, the critical question is whether oil can continue moving safely through Gulf shipping routes.
For regional security, the greater concern is whether the latest US-Iran exchange remains contained — or becomes another step toward a broader Middle East confrontation.
