US, Iran continue trading attacks targeting vessels | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News

The United States and Iran are trading attacks targeting vessels around the Strait of Hormuz, fueling concerns that the ongoing conflict could further escalate and have even more serious consequences.

US Central Command announced on Tuesday that it had destroyed five Iranian crude oil tankers after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targeted a US Navy warship. It released video footage of the strikes.

The US military said on Saturday that its forces had struck three Iranian crude oil tankers in retaliation for Iran's attacks.

In response, the IRGC announced on Wednesday that it struck a US military base in Jordan with missiles.

The IRGC claimed that its naval force targeted two US vessels and eight oil tankers, inflicting significant damage. It also said that 10 other vessels, which were trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz with the support of US forces, were targeted.

Meanwhile, Reuters reported on Wednesday that one seafarer was killed aboard an oil products tanker at anchor off Dubai and another crewmember was missing, citing the vessel's charterer. The news agency also quoted maritime security sources as saying that the tanker may have been hit by a drone.

In a social media post on Wednesday, CENTCOM denied the IRGC's claim that it had struck two US Navy destroyers operating in the Middle East. It says, "No U.S. Navy warship has been struck; all IRGC attempted attacks failed."

Reuters describes the series of attacks targeting vessels as "the biggest declared wave of tit-for-tat attacks on shipping by both sides since the start of the six-month-old war."