clear

Creating new perspectives since 2009

Trump instructs Navy to ‘destroy’ Iran boats that harass US ships

April 23, 2020 at 11:08 am

US President Donald Trump speaks to the media during a cabinet meeting at the White House on 29 November 2017 in Washington, D.C. [Kevin Dietsch-Pool/Getty Images]

US President Donald Trump yesterday instructed the US Navy to “shoot down and destroy any and all Iranian gunboats” that harass American ships.

“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 wrote on Twitter.

Later yesterday, Deputy Defence Secretary David Norquist told reporters that “the President issued an important warning to the Iranians. What he was emphasizing is all of our ships retain the right of self-defense and people need to be very careful in their interactions to understand the inherent right of self-defense.”

READ: Rouhani says Iran least affected by dropping oil prices 

Last week, the US Navy said Iranian warships repeatedly conducted “dangerous and harassing approaches” toward American vessels in the Gulf.

The navy said in a statement that one Iranian vessel came within 50 metres of colliding with a US ship.

The Navy released photos and a video which it said document the incident.