The United States destroyed five Iranian oil tankers on Tuesday in retaliation for recent Iranian missile strikes targeting U.S. naval vessels in the Middle East, U.S. Central Command (Centcom) said. Since Friday, Iran has launched ballistic missiles at a U.S. aircraft carrier, multiple destroyers, and at least one Marine vessel, according to U.S. officials familiar with the incidents. While none of the strikes inflicted damage, some were described as close calls.

In response, the U.S. targeted four Iranian tankers in the Gulf of Oman and one near Kharg Island, a key point for Iran’s oil exports. Centcom said the Iranian tanker crews were ordered to abandon their ships before the U.S. strikes. The military characterized the tankers as components of a "multibillion-dollar shadow network" that finances the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its regional allies.

The escalation followed a series of Iranian missile launches that began over the weekend, when Tehran fired at an aircraft carrier and a destroyer. The U.S. retaliated Saturday by striking three Iranian tankers to signal that such assaults would not be tolerated. Iranian attacks continued in the days that followed, with missile launches aimed at additional U.S. warships.

On Tuesday, Iran also fired missiles at U.S. forces stationed in Jordan. The IRGC claimed the strikes targeted jet fighters at the Muwaffaq Salti air base. Jordan’s military reported intercepting 18 ballistic missiles, while two struck uninhabited areas. A U.S. official confirmed that Iranian attacks in Jordan were countered effectively by integrated air and missile defenses, and that all American personnel were safe.

U.S. officials have raised concerns over Iran’s increasing use of advanced weaponry and suggested that Tehran may be receiving assistance from China or Russia in tracking U.S. naval movements. The ongoing hostilities reflect Tehran's growing readiness to engage offensively amid economic pressures linked to the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports.

The incidents have heightened tensions in the region and carry the risk of further escalation as both sides maintain a posture of military readiness.