Rubio says Iran will lose more tankers
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- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he does not believe any country is providing military support to Iran.
- Rubio defended US attacks on Iranian oil tankers, saying Tehran would lose tankers whenever it attempts to target US naval vessels.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington does not believe Iran is receiving military support from another country, while reaffirming that the United States will continue its economic pressure campaign against Tehran.
Rubio also warned that Iran would pay a price for attempting to attack US warships, as tensions continue to escalate in the Gulf and around the Strait of Hormuz.
"Iran continues to try to hit US naval ships, and for every time they do that or try to do that, they're going to lose tankers," Rubio said.
He added that Iranian forces had not hit US vessels but said Washington had destroyed five Iranian oil tankers in the latest escalation. US Central Command said the tankers were targeted after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps attempted to strike a US Navy warship with ballistic missiles on two occasions.
The US military said the American warship evaded both attacks and that no US personnel were injured.
Iran subsequently said it had attacked 10 vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, including two US vessels and eight oil tankers. Washington has denied that its warships were hit.
Iran also launched ballistic missiles toward a US military presence in Jordan. Jordanian authorities said its air defenses intercepted 18 of 20 missiles, with two falling in unpopulated areas and no reported casualties.
The latest escalation has pushed oil prices above $100 a barrel as concerns grow over the impact of the conflict on shipping and energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.
