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The United States has destroyed five Iranian crude oil tankers following attacks by Iran's Revolutionary Guard on a US Navy warship, US Central Command said on Tuesday.

According to the US military, the strikes came after Iran made two attempts over the previous two days to target the warship with ballistic missiles. No Americans were reported injured in the attacks.

Iranian state television also reported the US strikes, saying American forces had hit at least three Iranian oil tankers near the southern port of Jask and around Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf. The crews were reportedly evacuated.

US Warns Iran Of Further Strikes

The latest exchange marks another sharp escalation in the more than six-month-old war, with Washington and Tehran again moving towards direct confrontation.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that Iran would face consequences for further attempts to attack American naval vessels. Speaking to reporters during a visit to Colombia, Rubio said the US would respond by targeting Iranian tankers.

“Iran continues to try to hit US naval ships. And for every time they do that or try to do that, they're going to lose tankers,” Rubio said, adding that further strikes could follow.

Iranian state television reported that a tanker had been hit near the coast of Yekbeni, close to Jask. Another explosion was also heard in the area, although its source and precise location were not immediately known.

Iran Strikes US Base In Jordan As Conflict Widens

The conflict widened further on Tuesday after Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen launched attacks on four cities in southern Saudi Arabia, according to reports. The strikes wounded 73 people and set oil installations ablaze, deepening the involvement of another US ally in the war.

The attacks came as global oil markets reacted to the strikes in Saudi Arabia. At the same time, US forces were carrying out attacks on Iranian oil tankers while Iran targeted an American military base in Jordan.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard said it had launched a ballistic missile attack on a US base near Al Azraq in Jordan. Iranian state media also released footage it said showed missiles being launched towards Jordan.

Jordan, however, said its air defences intercepted 18 of the 20 Iranian missiles. The remaining two fell in unpopulated areas, and authorities reported no casualties.