US Strikes Five Iranian Oil Carriers Near Kharg Island, Escalating Hormuz Tensions

U.S. Central Command says American forces destroyed five Iranian crude-oil carriers near Kharg Island and Jask in a move tied to Tehran’s oil-financed influence and in retaliation for IRGC missile attacks on a U.S. warship. The vessels were abandoned and rendered inoperable; four tankers—Kaviz, Charminar, Horizon 1, and Riesco—and a fifth near Kharg, Derya, were targeted. Iran has warned of retaliation as tensions in the Strait of Hormuz persist. Kharg Island is a major Iranian oil-export hub, storing up to about 30 million barrels of crude.