The standoff between the United States and Iran has escalated significantly after US forces struck five Iranian oil tankers, sinking one of them in the Gulf of Oman. According to the US Central Command (CENTCOM), the attacks came in response to two Iranian attempts to attack a US warship.

Four of the tankers hit were in the Gulf of Oman and, according to US authorities, were linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Another tanker was hit near Kharg Island, a strategic point for Iranian oil exports.

One of the ships hit, the M/T Riesco, sank in the Gulf of Oman. CENTCOM also released images of the damaged ship after the attack.

Iran responded by firing missiles at a US base in Jordan. Jordanian authorities said air defense systems shot down 18 of the 20 missiles, while two others fell in uninhabited areas.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard later claimed to have hit two American ships, eight oil tankers and 10 other vessels that, according to it, were trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

The latest clashes come several months after the launch of American and Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28, while tensions between the parties have increased significantly over the past week.

According to CENTCOM, the Iranian attacks on a US warship involved the use of ballistic missiles, which the US military said were successfully analyzed and neutralized. According to the US side, there were no US troops injured.

The US argued that the tankers hit were part of an international oil transportation network, which Washington accuses of generating billions of dollars in funding for the IRGC and Iran's allied armed groups in the region.