WASHINGTON / TEHRAN — U.S. Central Command said American forces struck five Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps–linked oil tankers after Iran twice targeted a U.S. warship with ballistic missiles. Four of the tankers were hit in the Gulf of Oman and one near Kharg Island. CENTCOM said the M/T Riesco was sunk and that no U.S. troops were harmed, with the missiles successfully evaded.
Iran said it fired missiles at the Al Azraq base in Jordan and claimed strikes on two U.S. vessels and eight tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. Jordan said it engaged 20 ballistic missiles, intercepted or destroyed 18, and that two fell in unpopulated areas.
The exchanges mark another round in a week of tit-for-tat attacks in a war that began after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28. Shipping through Hormuz has been largely disrupted.
Speaking in Colombia, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran continues to try to hit U.S. naval ships and warned that Tehran would “lose tankers,” according to wire reports.
Sources: BBC, Al Jazeera
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