US launches 'tanker-for-tanker' policy against Iran in Hormuz
The US has escalated its confrontation with Iran in the Strait of Hormuz, targeting two Iranian oil tankers under a new 'tanker-for-tanker' policy.
Key Takeaways
AIAs part of a new 'tanker-for-tanker' policy, the United States has revealed an escalation in its confrontation with Iran in the Strait of Hormuz, with the US military targeting two oil tankers belonging to the Iranian government.
According to Axios, US officials said the targeting of the tankers was part of a broad wave of strikes carried out by American forces on Tuesday inside Iran, hitting around 100 military targets.
A US official explained that President Donald Trump approved the new policy to deter Tehran from targeting oil tankers and commercial vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Under this policy, the official said, an Iranian oil tanker would be targeted for every vessel attacked by Iran.
The two Iranian tankers were anchored off the Iranian coast, north of the line where US forces enforce their maritime blockade, when they were struck by American drones with missiles that hit their engine rooms. This marked the first US targeting of Iranian tankers as retaliation for attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, rather than to prevent breaches of the blockade.
View the post on X
The strikes were part of a wider operation that US Central Command (CENTCOM) said targeted Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps sites, including air defenses, radar systems, facilities, naval assets, mine-laying capabilities, and communications sites.
US officials said the list of targets included anti-ship cruise missile launch platforms and drone launch sites.
CENTCOM announced that its strikes were in response to recent attempts by the Revolutionary Guard to target commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and US military personnel deployed in the region.
Meanwhile, US forces continued to escort and guide ships through the strait. A US official said about 40 vessels passed in both directions on Tuesday, carrying millions of barrels of oil.
He added that US forces intercepted several anti-ship cruise missiles and drones that the Revolutionary Guard launched toward the ships, none of which hit their targets.
Notably, the confrontation escalated in recent hours, as Iran responded to the US strikes by launching ballistic missiles and drones at American sites in Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Iraq.