Escalating tit-for-tat attacks turn Gulf of Oman into battleground, echoing 1980s 'Tanker War' as crude hits highest level since July.
Published
The United States destroyed five Iranian oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman on Tuesday, responding to an Iranian attack on an American warship — the second such attack in less than a week. Iran responded hours later by pummelling a US military base in Jordan with missiles, according to Iran's Revolutionary Guards, dragging the six-month-old conflict deeper into open warfare.
The exchange marks the opening of a new maritime front in the conflict, with commercial shipping now squarely in the crossfire. The National reported the escalation follows a tit-for-tat policy approved by President Donald Trump that risks pulling Gulf states and global energy markets deeper into chaos — a replay of the "Tanker War" of the 1980s.
Brent crude oil prices climbed above $100 per barrel on Wednesday, the first time since July, as traders braced for prolonged disruption to supply routes through the Strait of Hormuz. The price spike compounds economic pressures already mounting from the broader Middle East hostilities.
Meanwhile, Britain rejected Israel's "damaging" retaliation after Israel closed the UK consulate in Jerusalem in response to London-led sanctions over settler violence in the occupied West Bank. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said the UK would continue intelligence cooperation with Israel and support the country against threats from Iran.
Sources: 1.