US strikes Iranian oil tankers in Strait of Hormuz

BREAKING: US strikes several Iranian oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for attempted Iranian missile attacks on a US Navy warship, with explosions reported near key oil export terminals at Jask and Kharg Island.

The US military just struck Iranian oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.

American officials say it was retaliation, after Iran attempted missile attacks on a US Navy warship in the region. These are the waters where it happened, the narrow channel that carries a fifth of the world's oil.

Iranian media reported explosions near the southern port of Jask and on Kharg Island, and Kharg matters enormously, it's the main artery for Iran's oil exports. Hitting tankers near those terminals is a strike at the country's income, not just its ships. There are no reports of casualties so far, and Washington hasn't said how many vessels were hit.

What's clear is the pattern. A missile attempt on a warship, an answer within days, and every exchange now lands closer to the infrastructure that keeps oil moving through Hormuz at all. The world's most important shipping lane is now an active battlefield.

This is Sara White, reporting for HIT.