U.S. forces struck two Iranian government tankers under a new Trump-approved 'tanker for tanker' policy, part of a wave of roughly 100 strikes that degraded Tehran's ability to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
American forces struck two Iranian government tankers Tuesday in the first direct retaliatory hits on Iranian shipping since the Strait of Hormuz confrontation escalated, carrying out a new "tanker for tanker" policy approved by President Trump. The tanker strikes were part of a larger operation that hit roughly 100 Iranian military targets tied to attacks on commercial shipping. Tehran's response so far has fallen flat, with most of its missiles and drones shot down before reaching their targets.
The strikes mark a clear escalation in the pressure campaign against Iran's Revolutionary Guard, which has spent months harassing vessels moving through one of the world's most critical oil chokepoints.
The two tankers were anchored off Iran's coast, north of the U.S. naval blockade line, when missiles launched from American drones slammed into their engine rooms. U.S. officials said it was the first time American forces have struck Iranian tankers in retaliation for attacks on Hormuz shipping rather than simply preventing blockade violations.
The operation was conducted under a new "tanker for tanker" policy approved by President Trump, designed to deter further Iranian attacks on tankers moving through the strait. The message is straightforward: every commercial tanker Iran threatens puts one of its own government-owned tankers at risk.
One U.S. official said the broader strategy is to prevent Tehran from rebuilding the radar and missile capabilities it uses to menace shipping, describing the goal as reducing risk to oil tankers, U.S. Navy vessels and Air Force aircraft in the region.
U.S. Central Command said the strikes, which began at noon Eastern time Tuesday, targeted Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps positions in response to recent attempted attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and on American service members in the region.
Beyond the two tankers, the roughly 100 targets included IRGC air defense sites, radar systems, mine-laying capabilities, communications sites, anti-ship cruise missile launchers and attack drone launchers. The operation also answered Iran's failed attempt to seed the strait with sea mines, which were removed or detonated, and an eight-missile barrage aimed at a U.S. base in Jordan that was entirely knocked down.
Officials said the strikes degraded Iran's attack capability in the strait and bought at least a month of lowered threat levels for commercial shipping. Roughly 40 ships transited the strait on Tuesday carrying millions of barrels of oil, even as the exchange of fire continued.
Iran's response has so far accomplished little. U.S. officials said Tehran fired around 25 ballistic missiles, only about half of which reached Jordanian airspace. Ten were intercepted and three landed in remote areas without causing casualties.
Iran also launched roughly two dozen drones at U.S. bases in Bahrain, most of which were intercepted, along with missile and drone fire aimed at bases in Kuwait. Two drones targeting a U.S. base in Erbil, Iraq, were also shot down. Jordan's armed forces said its air defenses intercepted 10 of 13 ballistic missiles that entered the kingdom's airspace.
Iranian state media claimed a U.S. strike hit a wedding ceremony in the town of Kuhestak, killing four people and wounding dozens more. CENTCOM disputed the claim, with a spokesman saying the report originated from Iranian state media and that the U.S. military never targets civilians. American forces also intercepted several anti-ship cruise missiles and drones fired by the IRGC toward commercial ships, none of which were hit.
"The Iranians have not only lost control of the Strait of Hormuz, they have also lost control over the conflict. They got nothing today," one U.S. official said.
President Trump described the strikes as large, powerful and fully justified, warning that any Iranian retaliation would bring a far heavier response. He said the strikes were payback for Iran's failed attempt to mine the strait and its missile fire at American forces in Jordan.
"If the failed Nation of Iran retaliates for this very justified attack, they will be hit again at a much harder and higher level," Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding that the biggest attack is "waiting in the wings." He also made clear he is in no rush to negotiate, saying he likes the current position of near-total control over the strait while Iran's economy collapses, and dismissing the value of any agreement with Tehran.
With the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem issuing a security warning for American citizens in the region and Gulf states on alert, the next move belongs to Tehran. For now, American forces hold the strait open, the oil is flowing, and the Islamic Republic's options are shrinking by the hour.
U.S. forces struck two Iranian government tankers under a new Trump-approved 'tanker for tanker' policy, part of a wave of roughly 100 strikes that degraded Tehran's ability to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
freedomlinedispatch.com
