Iran conflict: five tankers destroyed as Hormuz crisis deepens

Five tankers hit — crews evacuated

The Iran war has taken another dangerous turn after the United States destroyed five Iranian oil tankers, following Iranian missile attacks against a U.S. Navy warship.

The five vessels — Kaviz, Charminar, Horizon 1, Riesco and Derya — were targeted as Washington dramatically increased pressure on Tehran's oil trade. Crucially, U.S. forces ordered the crews to evacuate before the strikes, and no American casualties have been reported from the Iranian missile attack on the Navy warship.

The latest strikes bring the number of Iranian tankers targeted by the United States since Saturday to at least eight, according to reports, turning Iran's oil fleet into a major battlefield in the widening confrontation.

And that matters far beyond Iran.

Hormuz is becoming the danger zone

The world's energy markets are watching the Strait of Hormuz with increasing alarm.

Shipping traffic through the strategic waterway has already slowed after Iran threatened retaliation against further American attacks. Reuters reported that only seven commodity vessels passed through the strait on Monday, compared with eight the previous day. Tehran has also threatened Gulf energy infrastructure and warned that the confrontation could spread.

The financial markets have noticed.

Oil briefly surged close to $100 a barrel, with Brent approaching $99.50 as traders priced in the possibility of prolonged disruption.

That is the nightmare scenario for the global economy: not simply bombs falling on Iran, but the world's major oil artery becoming increasingly difficult and dangerous to navigate.

Iran fires back

Tehran has not simply absorbed the attacks.

Iran launched ballistic missiles at U.S. targets in Jordan, with Jordanian forces reporting that most of the 18 missiles were intercepted and no casualties were reported.

The exchange demonstrates just how quickly the conflict is spreading beyond Iranian territory.

Washington hits Iranian maritime assets.

Tehran fires at American positions.

Jordan is dragged into the exchange.

And the Gulf shipping lanes sit directly in the middle of it.

And then Iran claims a U.S. submarine

In another extraordinary development, Iran announced that its Revolutionary Guards had captured what it described as an American submarine in the Strait of Hormuz.

There is an important qualification here.

It was not a manned U.S. submarine.

The captured craft was an unmanned underwater vehicle, the Dive-LD, an autonomous American system used for missions including seabed mapping, intelligence gathering and mine-countermeasure work.

The Pentagon confirmed the loss but played down its significance, saying the underwater drone had malfunctioned and was not carrying classified equipment. Reuters reports that the system is roughly 19 feet long and designed for high-risk operations where losses are anticipated.

So Tehran has scored a propaganda victory — but this was hardly the capture of an American attack submarine with a crew aboard.

Still, in the propaganda war surrounding Hormuz, the pictures will undoubtedly be useful to Tehran.

Iran's other war — against its own people

And away from the missiles and tankers comes an altogether different and deeply disturbing story.

Two 20-year-old Iranian twin sisters, Taraneh and Romina Rahimi, were reportedly arrested after taking part in anti-regime protests earlier this year.

According to their family, they were subjected to months of brutal treatment in custody.

Their reported injuries included broken bones and severe physical abuse, while their hair was allegedly ripped out. Their mother reportedly struggled to recognise them when she finally saw them in prison.

The case became even more horrifying when Taraneh was sentenced to death after reportedly being forced into a confession under threats against her sister. Romina was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

The sisters' case has become another grim example of the Iranian regime's treatment of political dissent, with rights groups and their family accusing authorities of using torture and harsh sentences to intimidate the wider population.

A war getting harder to contain

This latest round has therefore produced three simultaneous crises.

The military confrontation between Washington and Tehran is intensifying.

The Strait of Hormuz is becoming increasingly dangerous for international shipping.

And inside Iran, the regime continues its brutal campaign against opponents.

For now, the tanker crews appear to have escaped the worst — and that is genuinely good news.

But the bigger concern is what happens next.

Five tankers have been destroyed.

Iran has fired back.

Shipping through Hormuz is slowing.

Oil is approaching $100.

And both sides are showing little sign of backing away.

The Iran war is no longer just a battle over missiles and military targets. It is becoming a battle over oil, shipping, regional security — and control of the world's most important energy chokepoint.

And that is where this story could get very expensive indeed.

AN ORIGINAL CONENT

“A captured US submarine “

The leftists here will actually believe anything that comes out of Irans mouth.

Meanwhile

Wow....obliterated.

American credibility, I mean.

“The captured craft was an unmanned underwater vehicle, the Dive-LD, an autonomous American system used for missions including seabed mapping, intelligence gathering and mine-countermeasure work.”

If Iran itself doesn’t want to reverse engineer it, I’m sure they’ll find Russia and China willing to make offers.