US forces struck five Iranian oil tankers on Tuesday, sinking one, in retaliation after Tehran twice targeted an American warship with ballistic missiles. Iran responded by firing missiles at a US base in Jordan and claimed it had attacked US vessels and multiple oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, marking a sharp escalation in tit-for-tat strikes between the two countries more than six months after the US and Israel first struck Iran in February.

US Central Command said four tankers hit in the Gulf of Oman were linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps, with a fifth struck near the Kharg Island terminal, through which about 90% of Iran's crude exports flow. Jordan said it intercepted 18 of 20 incoming missiles, with the remainder landing harmlessly, while Iran's Revolutionary Guards later said they had hit two US vessels, eight tankers and ten other vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Oil prices rose on the news, with Brent crude up 1.5% to $99.35 a barrel, and tensions were further stoked by an Iran-backed Houthi drone and missile attack on Saudi energy facilities that injured 73 people. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Iran would keep losing tankers for every attempted strike on US ships.