United States destroys five Iranian oil tankers on the return of cross attacks

The United States said it had destroyed five Iranian oil tankers on Tuesday. This action was a response to two ballistic missile attacks carried out by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) against an American warship. The ballistic missile attacks occurred during the two days prior to the American attack. The episode represents a new escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran in the context of the conflict in the Middle East.