US strikes two Iranian oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman

The U.S. military on Ma 8 said it struck two Iranian-flagged oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman to prevent them from entering an Iranian port in violation of the U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in X.

The Iranian tankers, according to the U.S. military, were without cargo. A U.S. fighter jet disabled both vessels by striking their smoke stacks, CENTCOM said, also releasing video of the attacks.

Iran has not yet commented on what happened. Brent oil on the background of reports of the U.S. military is growing by almost 1% to $101.3 per barrel (at an intraday low futures for Brent with delivery in July fell to $99.55). U.S. WTI is also trading in the green zone at $95.4 per barrel.

The U.S. attack was yet another episode of escalating hostilities in the Middle East this week, further undermining the already fragile ceasefire in place since mid-April between the U.S. and Iran. At the same time, US President Donald Trump says the temporary ceasefire in the Middle East is still in effect, CNBC notes. On the night of Ma 8, the U.S. and Iran have already exchanged strikes in the area of the Strait of Hormuz. Trump initially said that Washington's actions were a response to the attack on American ships and were in "self-defense," but later softened his rhetoric. Iran, in turn, accused the US of strikes on its coast and announced retaliatory attacks, while the UAE said it had intercepted Iranian missiles and drones over its territory.

This article was AI-translated and verified by a human editor