Iran launches missile salvo at Jordan base and targets Gulf ships after US sinks tankers

US strikes on Iranian tanker network

US Central Command announced on Tuesday that it destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers, sinking one tanker in the Gulf of Oman. The vessel, identified as the M/T Riesco, caught fire and sank bow-first after being hit, with US forces also targeting the M/T Kaviz, M/T Charminar, and M/T Horizon 1 in the Gulf of Oman alongside the M/T Derya near Kharg Island. American officials stated that crews received evacuation warnings before the strikes, describing the vessels as funding assets for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The operation followed two Iranian ballistic missile attacks against a US Navy warship over the preceding 48 hours, which caused no American casualties. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the operation during an official visit to Colombia.

Iran continues to try to hit U.S. naval ships, and for every time they do that or try to do that, they're going to lose tankers.

Iranian missile salvo hits Jordan

In direct response to the tanker sinkings, the IRGC fired 20 ballistic missiles early Wednesday morning targeting the Al-Azraq military base in eastern Jordan. The installation, located roughly 100 kilometres east of Amman, hosts US fighter aircraft including F-15, F-16, and F-35 squadrons. Jordanian air defence systems intercepted 18 of the incoming missiles, while the remaining two fell in unpopulated desert zones, resulting in zero reported casualties. Fox News reported that US officials confirmed the presence of cluster munitions among the incoming Iranian warheads. Iranian state media broadcast warnings from General Ali Abdollahi, chief of staff of Iran's armed forces, that strikes on oil vessels would prompt immediate retaliation against regional US installations.

Clashes across regional maritime routes

Beyond the missile salvo against Jordan, the IRGC claimed Wednesday to have attacked two US naval vessels, eight oil tankers, and ten other commercial ships in Gulf waters. Iran also announced the capture of an American unmanned underwater vehicle at the entrance of the Strait of Hormuz, which Iranian officials described as an advanced system delivered in 2025. US authorities stated that a surveillance drone had malfunctioned in the area. In the United Arab Emirates, an unnamed liquefied natural gas vessel sustained damage in the port of Khor Fakkan under unresolved circumstances. In Yemen, Iranian-backed Houthi forces simultaneously launched strikes across four southern Saudi Arabian cities, injuring 73 people and igniting fires at oil facilities.

Aviation sanctions and market reaction

Alongside military engagements, the US Department of the Treasury expanded economic sanctions on Tuesday by targeting 27 Iranian commercial and state-owned airlines. The listing added regional carriers including Kish Airlines, Iran Air Tour, and ATA Airlines to existing penalties previously placed on Mahan Air, Iran Air, and Meraj Air. The broader measures subject foreign banks and flight booking platforms to US enforcement if they maintain business ties with the carriers. International carriers had already avoided Iranian airspace following the outbreak of the conflict in late February. In financial markets, Brent crude oil prices rose toward $100 per barrel in Asian trading hours on Wednesday, reaching their highest quotation since 23 July while remaining beneath the triple-digit threshold.