NEW DELHI: The conflict between the United States and Iran has sharply escalated after U.S. forces destroyed five Iranian oil tankers, prompting Tehran to launch missile attacks against U.S. military positions in Jordan and claim strikes on American naval vessels.

The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said on September 8 that its forces destroyed five Iranian crude-oil carriers after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targeted a U.S. Navy warship with ballistic missiles twice over two days. The American vessel reportedly evaded both attacks, and no U.S. personnel were injured.

The vessels identified by the U.S. were M/T Kaviz, M/T Charminar, M/T Horizon 1 and M/T Riesco, which were struck in the Gulf of Oman, and M/T Derya, which was targeted near Iran’s strategically important Kharg Island. CENTCOM said crews were ordered to abandon the vessels before the strikes.

Iran responded with ballistic missile attacks against Al Azraq, a military base in Jordan used by U.S. forces. Jordan's military said its air-defence systems intercepted 18 of 20 missiles, while the remaining two landed in unpopulated areas. No casualties were reported by Jordan.

Iran’s IRGC also claimed it had attacked U.S. naval vessels and other ships in the region, although the United States had not immediately confirmed those claims. Tehran has further threatened shipping linked to U.S. interests in the Gulf, raising concerns about the safety of commercial vessels navigating the region.

The latest exchange marks another significant escalation in the more than six-month-old conflict and is intensifying concerns over the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important routes for global energy supplies. The confrontation has already pushed oil prices sharply higher, with Brent crude approaching the $100-per-barrel mark.

The growing military confrontation is also raising fears of a wider regional conflict, particularly as attacks involving Iran, U.S. forces and Iran-aligned groups increasingly threaten military installations, commercial shipping and critical energy infrastructure.