Iran says it struck ships near Hormuz and fired missiles at US base in Jordan after US sank Iranian tankers

Iran and the United States traded a major maritime and military escalation on Wednesday, with Tehran saying it struck multiple vessels near the Strait of Hormuz and fired ballistic missiles at a base used by US forces in Jordan after Washington destroyed a number of Iranian-linked oil tankers.

What happened — verified claims and contrasting accounts

Iranian state and semi-official outlets, cited in international reports, said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) attacked 10 vessels near the Strait of Hormuz and launched ballistic missiles toward a base used by US forces near Al Azraq in eastern Jordan. Iran also said it fired on US warships operating in the region.

US Central Command and other US officials said they destroyed several Iranian oil tankers overnight in what CENTCOM described as a response to IRGC attempts to strike a US Navy warship with ballistic missiles over recent days. Multiple outlets report Washington released footage showing tankers ablaze before they sank, and military statements identified at least one vessel, the M/T Riesco, as having sunk after a US strike.

There are discrepancies between the two sides’ accounts about damage and casualties. Iran claimed its missile strikes inflicted heavy damage in Jordan; Jordanian authorities said their air defences intercepted most incoming missiles, reporting 18 of 20 were shot down and that two fell in unpopulated areas with no reported casualties. A US official cited by international press said Iran’s strikes in Jordan were ineffective and that all American personnel were accounted for. Media reports also cite maritime security agencies and ship managers reporting at least one seafarer killed and another missing on vessels in the area, and several merchant ships hit by disabling fire.

Immediate regional effects — shipping and oil markets

The strikes came amid already disrupted transit through the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for global energy flows. International reporting says the attacks pushed Brent crude above $100 a barrel and helped lift US diesel prices to record highs. Analysts quoted in coverage warned that the renewed fighting had set back any recent recovery in transit through Hormuz after flows briefly increased late last month.

Maritime security agencies, including the UKMTO as reported in the coverage, received reports of merchant vessels struck in the Gulf and Gulf of Oman and a ship listing off Port Rashid in the United Arab Emirates, possibly from projectile damage. There were also accounts of a drone strike and fire on tankers in waters off Iraq and Gulf ports; the New Andros, a tanker carrying fuel oil, was reported hit in Iraqi waters and caught fire, according to two Iraqi port officials quoted in reporting.

Timeline of the reported exchanges (based on media accounts)

1. Over recent days: US and Iran had exchanged strikes on military and energy assets, and the IRGC was reported to have targeted a US Navy warship with ballistic missiles on more than one occasion.
2. US military response: Washington said it struck and destroyed multiple Iranian-linked oil tankers overnight; footage released by CENTCOM showed burning vessels and at least one tanker later sinking (reported identification: M/T Riesco).
3. Iranian retaliation: The IRGC announced missile launches toward a US base in eastern Jordan and said it fired on US ships and several merchant tankers in a declared off-limits zone around the Strait of Hormuz.
4. Jordanian response: Jordanian air defences reportedly intercepted the majority of missiles; officials reported no casualties.
5. Maritime reports: UKMTO and maritime security sources reported multiple merchant vessels struck or listing; ship managers and port officials reported at least one crew death and one missing person across incidents in the Gulf region.

Confirmed and contested facts — precise attribution

• Confirmed by US military statements and footage: US forces struck and destroyed multiple Iranian-linked oil tankers; at least one tanker (M/T Riesco) was reported sunk following US strikes (source: US Central Command footage and subsequent media accounts).
• Claimed by Iran/IRGC: Iran said it struck 10 vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, fired on US warships and launched ballistic missiles at a US base in Jordan. These are Iranian official claims cited by international reports.
• Jordanian official account: Jordan said its defences intercepted 18 of 20 missiles targeted at Jordanian territory and reported no casualties. A US official said US personnel were unharmed.
• Maritime incidents and casualties: Multiple sources reported merchant ships were struck in the northern Gulf and Gulf of Oman; at least one seafarer killed and another missing were reported by vessel charterers and maritime reporting agencies. These casualty and damage reports were reported by international outlets citing ship managers and security agencies.

Wider context and regional implications

International coverage frames the exchanges as the largest reciprocal attacks on shipping since the broader Middle East conflict began months earlier. The events come amid fighting in other theatres — notably renewed Saudi–Houthi exchanges in Yemen — that observers say risk further disruption to energy infrastructure and shipping routes beyond the Gulf.

Iran has said it will expand declared off-limits zones at sea and warned of steeper retaliation for further attacks on its tankers; Iran’s Revolutionary Guards reportedly said they could escalate to hit more targets if strikes continue. The US has described a policy of targeting Iranian tankers when Iranian forces fire on US warships, a measure Washington says is designed to deter attacks on its vessels.

Practical implications for the region (for UAE readers)

• Shipping and ports: UAE ports and shipping companies should expect heightened maritime-security alerts and potential short-term disruptions to cargo schedules in the northern Gulf and Gulf of Oman, as reports include vessels listing and strikes near Port Rashid and Khor Fakkan.
• Energy markets: Rising Brent prices and higher refined fuel costs documented in international reporting could affect regional fuel supply dynamics and domestic fuel pricing decisions in Gulf states that monitor global crude benchmarks closely.
• Security posture: Military and civil authorities in the UAE and neighbouring countries may increase air and maritime monitoring; businesses with Gulf-based operations should review risk protocols for crew safety and insurance exposures.

Unresolved questions and what to watch next

• Independent verification of Iran’s claim to have struck 10 vessels and the precise effects of the missile salvo on the Jordan base remains limited in public reporting. Sources differ on damage assessments and casualty numbers.
• The extent to which tanker routing through the Strait of Hormuz can be restored or will remain constrained depends on both military moves and private shipping decisions; independent transit counts cited in coverage suggest flows remain well below pre-conflict levels.
• Further retaliation or de-escalation will likely hinge on decisions in Washington, Tehran and regional capitals, and on how actors such as the Houthis and Saudi forces behave in adjacent theatres like the Red Sea and Yemen.

“Iran said it attacked 10 ships near the Strait of Hormuz after the US sank five Iranian oil tankers,” reporting summarised from international media coverage.

Reporting for this article is based on accounts from international outlets and statements cited therein, including US Central Command releases, Iranian official statements carried in state media, Jordanian military statements and maritime-security agency reports as reported in international press coverage.