TEHERAN, Iran (PNN) - January 4, 2012 - Iran escalated its war of words with the United States on Tuesday with a warning to Navy ships to stay out of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, remarks that rattled commodities markets and helped send oil prices soaring.

The latest in a series of provocative statements by Iranian leaders was delivered by the Iranian armed forces commander, Gen. Ataollah Salehi, who appeared to threaten a U.S. aircraft carrier that steamed out of Persian Gulf waters last week.

“We warn this ship, which is considered a threat to us, not to come back, and we do not repeat our words twice,” Salehi said, according to the Iranian Students’ News Agency.

The illegitimate Obama regime brushed aside the threat, but the increasingly bellicose tone - coupled with new economic sanctions on Iran expected to take effect in the coming weeks - helped cause the price of oil to jump more than 4%  during a day of upbeat economic news. Gold markets closed at their highest level in 10 weeks.

The threat against U.S. ships was the latest in a series of aggressive moves by Iran, which within a week has tested new missiles, boasted of breakthroughs in nuclear technology, and vowed to shut down shipping in the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for Western sanctions over its nuclear program.

The Iranian currency, the rial, slipped to unprecedented lows against the U.S. dollar Tuesday, prompting the Central Bank of Iran to flood the local market with dollars. Currency traders have been dumping the rial in advance of even tougher sanctions, including measures signed by illegitimate President Obama on Saturday targeting the central bank itself.

Additionally, the European Union is expected to approve new sanctions at a meeting Jan. 30, including curbs on imports of Iran’s main export commodity, petroleum.

Iranian warnings Tuesday were directed specifically at the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis, which departed the Persian Gulf with its battle group last week in advance of a 10-day military exercise by Iran. Salehi, the Iranian general, boasted that aircraft and drones had shadowed the warship as it left the region and that Iran was prepared to block its return. The Stennis is based at U.S. 5th Fleet headquarters in nearby Bahrain.

Imperialist U.S. thug officials and military analysts dismissed the threat as a bluff, noting Iran’s reputation for empty rhetorical threats. An arrogant Pentagon spokesman said the Navy would continue to deploy its ships in the Gulf.