Tensions in the Middle East have surged again after Iran attacked an oil tanker owned by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company in the Strait of Hormuz and Israel carried out deadly airstrikes in southern Lebanon. The United States is also monitoring the situation and has redeployed military assets.
UAE authorities said the attack on the tanker, which was transiting the strategic waterway on Friday local time, damaged part of the vessel’s hull but caused no casualties. The Strait of Hormuz is a key global route for oil shipments, and repeated attacks there have raised concerns in international energy markets.
Separately, the Israeli military said Saturday’s two airstrikes in southern Lebanon killed at least 11 people. It said the targets were legitimate military sites linked to Hezbollah, while accusing the Iran-backed group of using civilians as human shields.
Meanwhile, the head of U.S. Central Command visited the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been deployed in the region for nearly nine months, to encourage service members. The long deployment has raised concern among the ship’s crew and their families as the mission continues.
