Six months into an armed confrontation between the United States and Iran, the Gulf of Oman has become a theater where oil tankers and naval warships serve as proxies for a deeper contest over regional power and economic survival. After accusing Iran's Revolutionary Guard of twice targeting an American warship within 48 hours, the US destroyed five Iranian oil tankers — a deliberate pivot toward economic warfare that sent crude prices toward $100 a barrel. Iran answered with missile strikes on a US base in Jordan and sweeping claims of damage to American destroyers, while Jordan's air defenses
US strikes Iranian tankers; Tehran retaliates with missile attacks on Jordan base
No casualties reported; Jordan's air defenses intercepted 18 of 20 ballistic missiles with two falling in unpopulated areas.