Why did US strike Iranian oil tankers?
Iran had targeted a US warship with ballistic missiles and struck a US base in Jordan, and later fighting saw Iranian forces reportedly target US warships directly, prompting the US to hit back at Iranian oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz [1, 4]. Separately, the strikes are also described as part of a broader US strategy to weaken Iran's economy by disabling or sinking its crude tankers and cutting off oil exports [2]. The tanker strikes came amid a wider escalation between the two sides that had resumed after a period of relative calm [3, 6].
Sources
- US strikes Iranian oil tankers as Tehran targets American base in Jordan — BBC World
- Trump strikes Iranian oil tanker near Kharg Island as gas prices skyrocket — Daily Mail
- Iran warns of ‘faster, heavier, more painful response’ to US attacks — BBC World
- US hits three Iranian oil tankers after saying its warships were targeted — BBC World
- Iranian attack on Saudi tanker killed two Filipino sailors, Saudi Arabia says — BBC World
- Iran ignores Trump threats of escalating the war and carries out attacks on US allies across the Gulf — Daily Mail
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