US military destroys five Iranian oil carriers following missile attack attempts

In contested waters where two rival powers have long circled one another, the United States military reported destroying five Iranian oil carriers on Tuesday after what it described as Iranian missile attacks against American forces — a threshold crossed that transforms years of friction and posturing into direct, material destruction. The encounter marks one of the most consequential military exchanges between Washington and Tehran in recent memory, arriving at a moment when nuclear negotiations, proxy conflicts, and competing maritime claims have already drawn the two nations to the edge of