US Secretary of State warns Iran will ‘lose tankers’ for attacks

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has issued a stern warning to Iran, stating that the US will continue to target Iranian oil tankers in response to any attempts to attack American warships.

Speaking to journalists during a visit to Colombia, Rubio said that if Iran targets US ships, "it will have to lose its own tankers."

The comments follow a sharp escalation in tensions, including US strikes that destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers, which Washington said were in retaliation for failed Iranian missile attacks on a US naval vessel.

The United States has issued a stern warning to Iran amid escalating tensions in the region. According to available reports, the US Secretary of State delivered a strong message to Tehran.

Separately, US Senator Marco Rubio stated that if Iran were to target American warships, it would risk losing its own oil tankers in retaliation.

In what appears to be a counter-move, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reportedly issued a warning to oil tankers operating in Kuwait and Bahrain.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Tuesday that while Iran has always opposed war, it will continue its "strong resistance" against any aggression "until the enemy is defeated." In a social media post, he stated that Iran considers avoiding conflict escalation as part of protecting public interests and regional security.

Separately, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called on the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to provide a "responsible reaction" to violations of Iran's sovereignty and territorial integrity. In a phone call with the new OIC Secretary-General, Araghchi briefed him on the regional situation following what he described as "aggression by the US and Israel," and stressed the need for effective measures to counter the use of force.

In a further development on Tuesday, September 8, senior Iranian official Mohsen Rezaei announced a change in the country's strategy towards the United States, according to available reports. The specific details of the new strategy were not immediately clear.

In a further development on Tuesday, Iran unveiled a new anti-destroyer and anti-ship ballistic missile, according to available reports. The move adds a new strategic capability to Tehran's arsenal amid a tense standoff with the United States in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has announced it will carry out retaliatory attacks, escalating tensions with the United States in the region. The announcement on Tuesday, September 8, follows earlier threats from Tehran and a reported slowdown in shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz slowed at the start of the week after Iran's recent threats to retaliate for any new US attacks, according to vessel tracking data. Kpler data showed the number of commodity vessels sailing through the strait on Monday, September 7, totalled seven, down from eight the previous day. Some vessels may be sailing with their transponders off, which are not included in the counts.

The heightened tensions also prompted investment bank Goldman Sachs to raise its Brent and West Texas Intermediate crude oil price forecasts for December 2026 and for 2027, citing expectations that shipping disruptions in the Middle East will persist into next year.

The developments came as reports indicated a US aircraft was spotted operating in the region, further intensifying the situation in the key waterway.

Amid escalating military rhetoric, diplomatic talks between Iran and the United States, mediated by Oman, are reportedly in their final stages, according to information available on Tuesday.

Iran has adopted a new defense strategy for an "asymmetrical and multi-layered" response to any future US aggression, according to the Deputy Chief of General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces. In a statement on Tuesday, Brigadier General Kioumars Heydari said the "enemy" has underestimated Iran's capacity to change the course of a war and expand the conflict across the entire region. He described the Strait of Hormuz as a key strategic issue with the potential to significantly affect the regional and global economy.

Heydari also claimed that enemy attempts to create instability in Iran through methods like hybrid warfare had been foiled by the unity between the Iranian people and the armed forces.

Iranian Navy Commander Shahram Irani warned on Monday that Iran can “paralyze enemy forces at any location if necessary,” claiming that past Iranian actions have surprised opponents and affected their combat capabilities.

Separately, Iran's Revolutionary Guards stated that it is difficult for ships to pass safely through the US-designated corridor in the Strait of Hormuz, advising vessels to use the route designated by Iran for safe passage. The Guards added that surveillance of ships in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, and the Sea of Oman is ongoing and that any vessel entering the Gulf of Oman “is not safe from threats.”