US Adopts New ‘Tanker for Tanker’ Policy in the Strait of Hormuz

The United States has moved from protecting its naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz to actively targeting Iranian tankers. The shift follows Iran’s attacks on oil tankers passing through the strategic waterway and reflects what the report describes as a new “tanker-for-tanker” policy approved by President Donald Trump.

US forces launched a new wave of airstrikes on Tuesday after about a month of relatively limited contact between the two countries. The strikes hit two Iranian government tankers anchored off Iran’s coast, north of the US naval blockade line. The attacks also hit about 100 other targets in an operation described as “mowing the lawn,” intended to prevent Iran from rebuilding radar and missile capabilities.

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bought at least a month

A US official told Axios that the strikes had “bought at least a month” of lower threat levels for shipping in the strait. Forty ships reportedly transited into and out of the waterway on Tuesday.

Iran, however, said the US attacks had also hit civilians. It claimed that a strike on a wedding in the town of Kuhestak killed at least four people and wounded at least 35. The US response was: “we're aware of the reports, which originated from Iranian state media. The U.S. military never targets civilians, unlike the IRGC.”

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we're aware of the reports, which originated from Iranian state media. The U.S. military never targets civilians, unlike the IRGC.