New York Times: The U.S. military said on Tuesday that it had destroyed five Iranian oil tankers in reprisal for attempted strikes by Iran on a U.S. Navy warship, adding to the burst of fighting in recent days that has punctured weeks of relative calm.
…Iranian state media said that U.S. forces had attacked Iranian oil tankers off the coast of Kharg Island, the hub of the country’s oil industry, and Jask, a port city on Iran’s southern shore…
US targets Iran’s airline industry as part of pressure campaign
The latest sanctions hit 27 Iranian airlines and nine service providers and sales agents accused of providing services to Mahan Air, which has been sanctioned since 2011. Mahan Air is a private Iranian airline accused of providing key support to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.
The service providers and sales agents sanctioned Tuesday are in Turkey, Malaysia, Kazakhstan and the United Arab Emirates.
Scores wounded as Iran-backed Houthis attack Saudi Arabia in major regional escalation
Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen launched a major attack on southwestern Saudi Arabia early Tuesday, targeting oil and other infrastructure in an escalation that risks widening the region’s conflicts and adding further pressure to crude prices.
Saudi-led forces vowed a resolute response, saying dozens of civilians had been injured. The Saudi Energy Ministry said the attacks had also caused fires at several facilities in the southern region, temporarily halting some operations…