World News
A Night of Fire: U.S. Hits Iranian Oil Tankers as Iran Fires Missiles at Jordan
Eight Iranian oil tankers were destroyed over three days. Overnight, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired about 20 missiles toward U.S. bases in Jordan, most of which were intercepted.
(Photo: U.S. Central Command)The strike on the Iranian tankers (Photo: U.S. Army)
U.S. Central Command confirmed Wednesday morning that it struck and destroyed five Iranian oil tankers overnight, which were used by Iran's shadow network. The statement said the operation came in response to Iranian launches toward U.S. warships over the past two days.
The Americans reported that U.S. military vessels successfully evaded the Iranian launches and were not damaged. In total, eight Iranian oil tankers were destroyed over three days.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed the events in Iran. During a visit to Colombia, Rubio said: "Iran continues to try to strike U.S. Navy ships. For every such attempt, it will lose oil tankers. I think we will see this happen again today."
On the other hand, Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters said: "Any attack on Iran's oil tankers will lead to attacks on American bases in the region by the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran."
Iran fired about 20 missiles overnight toward U.S. bases in Jordan. Some of the interceptions by the Jordanian and U.S. militaries were clearly visible in Israel, in the Jerusalem and Samaria areas. The Americans noted that 18 missiles were intercepted and two others fell in open areas.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Iran is using new missiles with advanced capabilities intended to strike U.S. warships. The missiles are equipped with electro-optical targeting systems, allowing them to maneuver toward a moving target through image analysis.
