Trump's 'Tanker for Tanker' Strategy: U.S. Strikes Iranian Oil Tankers as Hormuz Tensions Boil Over

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President Donald Trump has reportedly adopted a "tanker for tanker" policy against Iran, following the latest exchange of missile strikes between the two countries. The move escalates tensions in a region already on edge.

U.S. Strikes Two Iranian Government Tankers

According to an Axios report on Tuesday, the U.S. military carried out strikes against two Iranian government tankers parked on the Iranian coast, north of the U.S. naval blockade line. The report cites an unnamed U.S. official. Another official told Axios that Trump approved the "tanker for tanker" policy as a deterrent to stop Iran from striking ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. officials cited in the report say the U.S. struck around 100 targets on Tuesday. Roughly 40 ships transited in and out of the Strait of Hormuz that day, guided by the U.S. military. The report also notes that the U.S. intercepted strikes on ships. Additionally, U.S. officials said Iran's strikes on U.S. assets in Jordan, Kuwait, and Bahrain failed.

The White House did not immediately respond to MarketDash's request for comment.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Slams Attacks

Following the strikes, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei slammed the U.S., saying that a strike in the city of Kuhestak on a home celebrating a wedding resulted in the deaths or injuries of more than 50 people, including women and children. He called it part of the U.S.'s "catalogue of atrocities against the nation of Iran."

According to a New York Times report on Tuesday, citing local officials and the Iranian Red Crescent Society, at least four people were killed in the strike on the wedding ceremony in Kuhestak, including one child, and 53 people were injured.

Baqaei also pointed to earlier U.S. strikes, including one on a girls' school in Minab, which he said resulted in the deaths of more than 150 civilians, a majority of whom were schoolgirls. "More dangerous than the bomb itself is the normalization of bombing; and more dangerous than silence is the conversion of silence into legitimacy," Baqaei said.

The spokesperson then said Tehran will have a firm response to the attacks. "Those governments and international institutions that remain silent in the face of such barbarism, or seek to justify such acts, must understand that their silence is not neutrality," he said.

Baqaei accused countries of normalizing and whitewashing "unlawful" attacks. "Turning a blind eye to injustice does not contain it; it only emboldens the perpetrators," he said.

Trump Touts Venezuela Oil

Amid the Iran oil shocks, Trump has touted oil from Venezuela to grapple with high energy costs and bring gas prices down at the pump. However, GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan said that U.S. refineries were operating at 95% capacity throughout the summer and warned that there may not be enough room for Venezuelan oil.