West Asia War Escalates As Iran Strikes 10 Ships Near Hormuz After US Sinks Five Oil Tankers

<p>Iran said on Wednesday that it had attacked 10 ships near the Strait of Hormuz after the US sank five Iranian oil tankers, in the most intense series of attacks on shipping by the two sides since the start of the six-month-old war.</p> <p>The escalation sent oil prices sharply higher, with benchmark Brent crude futures crossing $100 a barrel for the first time since July. At least one seafarer aboard a tanker was reported killed, while another remained missing.</p> <p>The latest attacks came after a month of relative calm, during which Washington had sought to put pressure on Tehran primarily through economic measures.</p> <p><strong>ALSO READ | <a href="https://news.abplive.com/news/world/iran-tightens-grip-on-public-spaces-launches-cafe-crackdown-1866002">Iran Tightens Grip On Public Spaces, Launches Cafe Crackdown</a></strong></p> <h2>Iran Threatens Wider Maritime Response</h2> <p>Iran also said it had launched ballistic missiles at a US military base in Jordan. Jordan said it intercepted 18 missiles, while two others landed harmlessly in unpopulated areas. A US official said all American troops had been accounted for.</p> <p>Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that it would significantly intensify its response to any further attacks. It also said Iran would soon publish maps showing a newly expanded maritime exclusion zone that would stretch as far as Chabahar, on the coast near Pakistan.</p> <p>The developments add another layer of uncertainty to a conflict that has already disrupted energy markets and raised concerns over the security of one of the world's most important shipping routes.</p> <p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iebzXi6m5S4?si=AYGdiCzcFX6nWZuE" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <h2>Trump Accuses Iran Of Targeting Midterms</h2> <p>President Donald Trump said Tehran was attempting to influence the November US midterm elections, which will determine whether his Republican Party keeps control of Congress.</p> <p>"I think war is going to end immediately after the election because they can't hold out any longer. They're desperate to try and affect the election," Trump told reporters.</p> <p>However, The Wall Street Journal reported later on Wednesday that senior White House advisers, including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, had privately cautioned Trump that the conflict could continue for the rest of his presidency, which ends in January 2029.</p> <p><strong>ALSO READ | <a href="https://news.abplive.com/news/world/us-iran-war-puts-pakistan-in-a-bind-defence-minister-calls-it-a-tightrope-walk-1865990">US-Iran War Puts Pakistan In A Bind; Defence Minister Calls It A &lsquo;Tightrope Walk&rsquo;</a></strong></p> <h2>Saudi-Houthi Fighting Adds To Regional Risk</h2> <p>The wider regional situation has also deteriorated in recent days, with fighting intensifying between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis in Yemen.</p> <p>The Yemen conflict represents a second theatre of war in the region and adds to concerns over the security of energy supplies originating from the Middle East. With tensions now rising across multiple fronts, the latest attacks near the Strait of Hormuz have further heightened the risks facing global oil markets.</p>

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