Kochi: US ally Jordan on Wednesday claimed it intercepted 18 Iranian missiles as Iran had targeted U.S. assets in the region in retaliation for American attacks on its oil tankers, media reports said. The U.S. military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) said it had on Tuesday destroyed five Iranian oil tankers in response to recent attempts to attack U.S. warships with ballistic missiles.Iran targeted several vessels in the Persian Gulf region Wednesday for trying to transit the Strait of Hormuz without its permission.Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on Wednesday claimed it had attacked two U.S. warships, eight oil tankers and 10 “non-compliant vessels” trying to transit the Strait of Hormuz which was denied by CENTCOM.The U.S. military’s Central Command denied on Wednesday Iran’s claim to have inflicted “heavy damage” on U.S. warships.”No U.S. Navy warship has been struck; all IRGC attempted attacks failed,” CENTCOM said in a post on social media. An analysis by Goldman Sachs has forecast that heightened attacks in the Persian Gulf and Red Sea could push global oil prices above $120 a barrel.The price of Brent crude, the international benchmark for oil, hit $100 per barrel Wednesday morning, its highest level since late July, as the U.S. and Iran’s standoff over the Strait of Hormuz flared up again with new attacks.
US-Iran clashes flare up
