The United States has sharply escalated its confrontation with Iran, striking three Iranian crude oil tankers after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched ballistic missiles towards two US Navy warships in regional waters, in the latest tit-for-tat exchange.
The US military said it carried out new strikes on southern Iran, targeting Iranian missile sites and boats attempting to place mines even as negotiations in Doha between Qatari mediators and Iran continued on a peace deal.
Mixed signals from the United States are adding to uncertainty over the direction of the Iran conflict, even as Donald Trump is set to receive a high-level military briefing on potential next steps.
At least 150 tankers, including crude and LNG vessels, dropped anchor in open Gulf waters beyond the Strait of Hormuz and dozens more were stationary on the other side of the chokepoint, shipping data showed, after US and Israeli strikes on Iran plunged the region into turmoil.
