NEWS
U.S Military Strikes Two Iranian Government Tankers in New ‘Tanker-for-Tanker’ Policy
The United States military reportedly struck two Iranian government-owned tankers during Tuesday’s wave of attacks on Iran, marking a significant escalation in Washington’s efforts to deter Iranian actions against vessels navigating the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
According to Axios, citing US officials, the strikes were carried out under a new policy approved by President Donald Trump that allows the US military to respond to Iranian attacks on ships with targeted strikes against Iranian tankers.
A US official said the policy was designed to send a direct deterrent message to Tehran and prevent further attacks or interference with commercial and other vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical maritime routes for energy shipments.
The two tankers were reportedly anchored off Iran’s coast, north of the line established by the US naval blockade. US drones allegedly targeted the vessels, firing missiles into their engine rooms in an operation intended to disable rather than destroy the ships.
The tanker strikes came as part of a much broader US military offensive that reportedly hit about 100 targets across Iran on Tuesday.
US officials said the targets included air-defense installations operated by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, radar systems, communications facilities, mine-laying capabilities, as well as sites used to launch missiles and drones.
The scale of the strikes underscores the intensifying confrontation between Washington and Tehran, with the Strait of Hormuz emerging as a major flashpoint. Any disruption to shipping through the waterway could have significant consequences for global energy markets, given its importance to international oil and gas transportation.
The reported adoption of the tanker-for-tanker policy also signals a potentially tougher phase in the US response to Iranian maritime activity, as Washington seeks to make clear that attacks on vessels in or around the Strait could trigger direct consequences for Iranian shipping assets.