The United States has warned that it will continue to strike Iranian oil tankers in response to any attack by Tehran on American naval assets. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during a visit to Colombia, declared that the US military will retaliate directly whenever Iran tries to strike its warships.

Rubio's statement came shortly after the announcement by the US Central Command (CENTCOM) that US forces destroyed five Iranian crude oil tankers on September 8. This military action came in response to two ballistic missile attacks launched by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) against a US warship, which successfully defended itself without suffering damage or injury to personnel.

For its part, Iran responded to the destruction of the tankers by launching ballistic missiles at a US military base in Jordan and hitting 10 other ships.

This new wave of reciprocal attacks has shattered a month of relative calm, escalating the six-month-old war in the region. The intensification of clashes is hitting military assets, maritime trade and energy, which has immediately pushed up oil prices on international markets and risks drawing regional allies deeper into conflict.