US Secretary of State Rubio warns Iran will lose tankers if it targets them

Rubio's Warning During a press briefing in Colombia, U.S.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that if Iran continues to target U.S.
naval vessels, it will lose tankers.
Military Response Central Command stated that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard had targeted a U.S.
warship twice in the last two days, but the ship was unharmed and the crew uninjured.
In retaliation, the U.S.
destroyed five Iranian tankers carrying crude oil: M/T Kaviz, M/T Charminar, M/T Horizon 1, M/T Riesco, and M/T Derya.
Iran's Counter‑Actions Iranian state TV reported that after the U.S.
struck a tanker near Hark Island, Iranian forces attacked two tankers off the coast of Cask in the Hormozgan province.
Earlier on September 5, the U.S.
had destroyed three Iranian tankers after Iran targeted two U.S.
warships.
Escalating Tensions These incidents are seen as part of rising tensions in the Middle East.
officials accuse Iran of using tankers as a "shadow network" to finance proxy forces, while Iran calls U.S.
actions a destabilizing attack.