US launches new 'tanker for tanker' policy, strikes Iranian ships in Strait of Hormuz – report

The US military launched direct retaliatory strikes against two Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) tankers on Tuesday, marking the first such action since the war began, according to Axios. This initiative is part of a new "tanker for tanker" policy approved by US President Donald Trump, aiming to deter Iranian attacks in the Strait of Hormuz. US drones targeted the engine rooms of the tankers, which were anchored off Iran's coast. The strikes, which hit approximately 100 targets including IRGC air defense sites and missile launchers, were presented as a response to recent Iranian attacks on commercial ships and American bases. A US official stated the strategy was to "mow the lawn" to reduce risks, and that the strikes "bought at least a month" of lowered threat levels. President Trump claimed on Truth Social that the US now has "almost total control of the Hormuz Strait."