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Secretary of State Marco Rubio has warned that the United States will continue striking Iranian oil tankers every time Iran targets an American warship.

Getting into it: While speaking to reporters in Colombia, Rubio said, “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. And I think you’ll see that again today.”

Rubio’s comments came after Iran attacked a US Navy warship with ballistic missiles twice over two days. The ship evaded the missiles, and no American personnel were harmed. In response, US forces struck five Iranian tankers Tuesday. Four were crude carriers in the Gulf of Oman: the M/T Kaviz, M/T Charminar, M/T Horizon 1 and M/T Riesco. The fifth, the M/T Derya, was hit near Kharg Island, which handled close to 90% of Iran’s crude exports before the war started. Everyone aboard was ordered off before the missiles hit, and Iranian state media said sailors from two vessels reached shore in lifeboats.

CENTCOM posted video of the Riesco on fire and sinking, describing the ships as “part of a multibillion-dollar shadow network that funds the IRGC and its regional proxies” and saying Iran “has no means by which to defend these vessels.”

Iran’s Foreign Ministry called the strikes on commercial vessels a violation of the UN Charter and a war crime, putting the blame for whatever comes next on the US and the countries working alongside it.

Iran’s retaliation came in Jordan. The IRGC said its missiles hit the Al Azraq base, also known as Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, and took out hangars housing US fighter jets. Jordan’s Armed Forces said air defenses engaged 20 ballistic missiles and destroyed 18. The other two fell in open areas, and no one was hurt. A US official called the attack ineffective and said all personnel were accounted for.

The IRGC also warned crews aboard tankers at Kuwaiti and Bahraini ports to leave their ships immediately, saying the vessels would be targeted because those countries host American forces.