Revolutionary Guards claimed a missile attack on the Al-Azraq air base in Jordan, while Amman said it intercepted 18 Iranian missiles.
The strikes followed US attacks on five Iranian oil tankers after Tehran targeted a US Navy warship with ballistic missiles.
Brent crude rose 1.5% to $99.35 a barrel as threats to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz raised fears of further supply disruptions
Iran Attacks US Base: Oil Nears $100 After Jordan Strike
Iran’s attack on a US military base in Jordan and threats against Gulf oil tankers have intensified the conflict, pushing Brent crude closer to $100 a barrel amid growing concerns over Strait of Hormuz disruptions
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The US-Iran conflict escalated further on Wednesday as Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed to have struck a US military base in Jordan with missiles, while warning that American attacks on Iranian oil tankers would trigger further retaliation.
The fresh strikes sent oil prices higher, with Brent crude climbing 1.5% to $99.35 a barrel in Asian trading, while US crude rose 1.3% to $94.23.
The latest escalation followed US strikes on five Iranian oil tankers on Tuesday, after Iran targeted a US Navy warship with ballistic missiles twice in two days, according to US Central Command (CENTCOM).
The Iranian Revolutionary Guards said their “punitive operation” against the Al-Azraq air base in Jordan damaged maintenance and repair facilities, fighter-jet deployment areas and aircraft shelters.
Jordan’s armed forces said they intercepted 18 of 20 Iranian missiles, with the remaining two landing in unpopulated areas.
Iran also claimed attacks on two US vessels, eight oil tankers and 10 “non-compliant vessels” attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial route for global oil and gas shipments.
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Iran Warns Oil Tankers
Tehran separately warned crews aboard oil tankers near US allies Kuwait and Bahrain to leave their vessels, saying the ships “will be targeted”.
The threats raise concerns over further disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has maintained a stranglehold as Washington seeks to restrict the country’s oil exports.
The US strikes on Tuesday targeted four Iranian tankers in the Gulf of Oman linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and another vessel near Kharg Island, a major Iranian oil terminal.
CENTCOM said crews had been warned to abandon the vessels before the attacks. One tanker was sunk.
The US had also destroyed three Iranian oil tankers on Saturday after Iranian forces attempted to strike a US aircraft carrier and destroyer with ballistic missiles.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington would continue retaliating against Iranian attacks on its naval forces.
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“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 during a visit to Colombia.
Oil Market On Edge
The tit-for-tat attacks come more than six months after the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28.
With Iranian threats extending to commercial shipping and the Strait of Hormuz remaining central to the confrontation, markets are increasingly focused on the risk of disruptions to oil supplies and transport.
The latest strikes came hours after Iran’s navy claimed it had seized an uncrewed US submarine in the Strait of Hormuz, adding another flashpoint to the rapidly intensifying conflict.