Gen. Hossein Salami, the head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, says he ordered Iran’s naval units to attack U.S. naval vessels if they “jeopardize” military or commercial ships.
On Thursday, Salami told Iranian state television that Iranian forces would “answer any action by a decisive, effective and quick counteraction.”
He continued, “We have ordered our naval units at sea that if any warships or military units from the naval force of America’s terrorist army wants to jeopardize our commercial vessels or our combat vessels, they must target those (American) warships or naval units.”
Salami’s warning comes a day after President Donald Trump said in a tweet that he had ordered the U.S. Navy to “shoot down and destroy any and all Iranian gunboats if they harass our 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.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 22, 2020
Last week, the Navy’s 5th Fleet said that 11 Iranian vessels “conducted dangerous and harassing approaches” around U.S. warships.
“The IRGCN’s dangerous and provocative actions increased the risk of miscalculation and collision,” the Navy said.
The Navy also released pictures and videos of the Iranian ships near U.S. vessels.
Video of #IRGCN vessels conducting dangerous & harassing approaches on U.S. naval vessels in the international waters of the North Arabian Gulf. pic.twitter.com/zL9VKQ0eiQ
— U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. 5th Fleet (@US5thFleet) April 15, 2020
Addressing his tweet during a press conference on Wednesday, Trump said, “We don’t want their gunboats surrounding our boats, and traveling around our boats and having a good time.”
He added, “We’re not going to stand for it. … They’ll shoot them out of the water.”
Thursday’s warning from Salami marks the latest flare-up in tensions between the two countries. On April 1, Trump warned that if Iran, or its proxies, attacked U.S. soldiers “or assets” in Iraq, it would “pay a very heavy price.”
