Top State Department officials Julieta Valis Noyes, discussing the US concerns with ISIS oil revenue, has revealed that the administration considers attacking oil pipelines in Syria a “viable” military option.

US warplanes have been attacking oil refineries and whatnot in ISIS territory in Syria, but attacking pipelines outright would be a huge move, with analysts warning the precedent it sets would be horrible.

Strikes on oil pipelines in Syria would risk huge environment damage and massive civilian casualties across the ISIS-held territory, which would be a huge embarrassment for the US, and would also give various factions all the more excuse to attack pipelines themselves.

Economic warfare already threatens to cause significant civilian suffering, something the US seems to be comfortable with right now, but escalating it could make the problem far, far worse.