US Strikes Sink Five Iranian Oil Tankers, Tehran Claims Retaliation, Jordan Intercepts 20 Missiles

Since Tuesday's Houthi missile and drone barrage wounded 73 people and set Saudi oil facilities on fire, driving Brent crude above $100 a barrel for the first time since July, the Middle East war has widened on at least three new fronts: American strikes on Iranian oil tankers, an Iranian claim of retaliation, and a barrage of ballistic missiles fired at Jordan.

US Sinks Five Tankers, Rubio Says More Coming

U.S. Central Command said Tuesday it destroyed five Iranian crude oil tankers after Tehran fired on a U.S. warship twice over two days. Maritime tracking firm TankerTrackers identified the vessels as the Charminar, Kaviz, Horizon 1, Riesco, and the empty National Iranian Tanker Company supertanker Derya, saying the group had exported 45 million barrels of Iranian crude oil and refined products since May 2019.

A U.S. official told Fox News the military has now disabled 10 Iranian oil tankers over the past week, five of them Tuesday alone.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking to reporters in Colombia, made the policy explicit. "Iran continues to try to hit U.S. naval ships," Rubio said. "And for every time they do that or try to do that, they're going to lose tankers." He said to expect more of the same.

Iran's Claim of Retaliation Is Unconfirmed

Iran's state broadcaster IRIB reported that Iranian forces struck eight oil tankers and two U.S. vessels in response to the tanker strikes, and separately targeted 10 more ships attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations Center said it received a report of an incident "involving several merchant vessels" in the northern Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, and that ships were "subject to disabling fire as part of ongoing military activity in the region." UKMTO said it could not confirm any casualties. CENTCOM has not confirmed Iran's account of striking U.S. vessels.

Jordan Intercepts a Missile Wave

The Jordanian Armed Forces said its air defense systems intercepted 20 ballistic missiles launched toward Jordanian territory Tuesday. Eighteen were destroyed; two fell in areas free of population gatherings, a military spokesperson said, according to state media. No casualties were reported, according to Reuters.

A U.S. official told Fox News correspondent Jennifer Griffin that Iran used cluster munitions in the attack and that the assault was ongoing at the time.

Houthis Say Saudi-Backed Forces Hit Back Overnight

Houthi spokesman Nasruddin Amer said Wednesday that Saudi-backed forces launched 32 airstrikes overnight across Yemen's Taiz, Hodeida, Jawf and Marib provinces. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties, and Saudi authorities did not immediately respond to a request for comment, according to the Associated Press.

The strikes follow Tuesday's Houthi attack, which Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki, spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition, called a "flagrant violation" of Saudi sovereignty. Al-Malki said the coalition would "take all necessary operational measures to deter the terrorist Houthi militia with utmost resolve." A source familiar with Saudi thinking told CNN that Riyadh has informed U.S. Central Command and European allies of its retaliation plans, though the form and scale remain undecided.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group's attacks were in response to more than 100 Saudi airstrikes on Yemen over the prior three days, which the Houthis claimed had killed many people.

Oil Pulls Back Slightly, Still Near Multi-Month Highs

Brent crude, which topped $100 a barrel Tuesday according to CNN and the Guardian, rose to $99.49 in early Asian trading Wednesday, up $1.57 on the day, according to Reuters figures cited by Fox News. West Texas Intermediate rose to $94.63. Reuters noted Brent has climbed roughly 25% since early August as ceasefire hopes faded.

A Consulate Closes Over a Trade Dispute

Separately, an Israeli official said the British Consulate in Jerusalem will close within 30 days in response to the United Kingdom's decision to ban trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

The Open Question

Whether Iran actually struck U.S. Navy vessels, as IRIB claims, remains unconfirmed by CENTCOM or independent maritime monitors. Until CENTCOM issues its own accounting, the tanker fight, the Jordan missile barrage, and the Saudi-Houthi exchange are the confirmed fronts in a war that has spread across multiple countries within days.