US President Donald Trump announced that he instructed the US Navy to sink all Iranian gunboats, which “harass” the US ships at sea.
“I have instructed the United States Navy to shoot down and destroy any and all Iranian gunboats if they harass our ships at sea,” Trump tweeted Wednesday.
I have instructed the United States Navy to shoot down and destroy any and all Iranian gunboats if they harass our ships at sea.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 22, 2020
On April 15, the US Navy Fifth Fleet’s press service stated that gunboats of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) conducted dangerous maneuvers near several US military ships in the Persian Gulf. According to the reports, the Iranian gunboats came within 50 yards of the US.
The US Navy accused the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) of “dangerous and provocative” actions, claiming that nearly a dozen Iranian vessels buzzed a group of American ships in the Persian Gulf. The US Fifth Fleet later published video footage of the encounter, which showed the gunboats circling a larger US ship.
Tehran brushed off the accusations, disputing the “Hollywood” scenario portrayed by the US. The Iranian government considers US naval activity in the gulf highly provocative, and condemned the patrol as “adventurism.”
On April 19, the IRGC said it is ready to respond to any mistake of the US in the Persian Gulf region.
Header: In this Wednesday, April 15, 2020, photo made available by U.S. Navy, Iranian Revolutionary Guard vessels sail close to U.S. military ships in the Persian Gulf near KuwaitU.S. Navy via AP
Source: TASS – Russian News Agency