India, March 5 -- Tensions between Iran and the United States have intensified after Iran claimed it carried out a missile strike on an American oil tanker in the northern Persian Gulf. The claim came shortly after the sinking of the Iranian naval frigate IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean, an incident that has already pushed regional tensions to a new level.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the attack happened early Thursday morning. According to Iran's Mehr news agency, the military targeted the tanker with a missile and set it on fire. Iranian authorities described the strike as a response to what they called an "act of aggression" against their navy.

As of now, the United States has not issued an official confirmation...