President Donald Trump approved the policy, which directs strikes on one Iranian oil tanker for every commercial ship Iran targets in the vital waterway. U.S. officials described this as the first direct tanker retaliation, part of broader action hitting around 100 targets like air defenses and missile sites.
Iran claims its tankers struck sea mines on an unauthorized route and accused the U.S. of inciting the crews, while both sides blame each other for endangering the global oil chokepoint amid rising missile and drone exchanges.