President of the United States Donald Trump said on Wednesday he had instructed the U.S. Navy to fire on any Iranian ships that harass it at sea, a week after 11 vessels from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) came dangerously close to U.S. ships in the Gulf.
"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 in a tweet, hours after Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps said it had launched the country's first military satellite into orbit.
The incident took place while the U.S. vessels were engaged in exercises as part of their patrols in the region.
No shots were fired, but the Pentagon said the Iranians engaged in "dangerous and provocative actions" that risked collision or worse.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps boats "repeatedly crossed the bows and sterns of the US vessels at extremely close range and high speeds," coming at one point within 10 yards (nine meters) of the bow of one.
The much smaller IRGC Navy vessels ignored warnings from the U.S. ships for about one hour, before finally responding to radio communications and then leaving, the U.S. side said.
On Sunday, the Revolutionary Guards accused the U.S. Navy of "unprofessional and provocative behavior" that had interfered with their own exercises, according to Mehr News Agency.
Iran will give a decisive response to any "mistake" by the U.S. in the Gulf, the IRGCN said in a statement published on its news site Sepah News.
"We advise the Americans to follow international regulations and maritime protocols in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman and to refrain from any adventurism and false and fake stories," Sunday's statement from the Iranian Guards navy said.
Trump's statement followed Tehran's announcement Wednesday of its first successful launch of a military satellite.
An Iranian armed forces spokesman responded on Wednesday to Trump's tweet, saying that the U.S. should focus on saving its military from the coronavirus.
"Today, instead of bullying others, the Americans should put all their efforts toward saving those members of their forces who are infected with coronavirus," Abolfazl Shekarchi said, according to the ISNA news agency.
Tensions between Iran and the U.S. increased earlier this year after the U.S. killed Qasem Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds Force, in a drone strike in Iraq.
Iran retaliated on January 8 with a rocket attack on Iraq's Ain al-Asad base where U.S. forces were stationed. No U.S. troops were killed or faced immediate bodily injury, but more than 100 were later diagnosed with traumatic brain injury.
(With input from Reuters, AFP)
