The chief commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says Iranian naval forces have been directed to target American “terrorist” ships should they harass Iranian civil or military vessels off the Persian Gulf.
Major General Hussein Salami made the comment in response to a threat by US President Donald Trump that American forces in the Persian Gulf had been directed to shoot Iranian boats “out of the water.”
Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif wrote on Twitter earlier in the day that US forces, provoking Iranian sailors in the Persian Gulf, have no business in waters located 7,000 miles away from home. In the tweet, the minister called on President Trump to attend to US needs amid the coronavirus pandemic, rather than meddling in affairs in the gulf.
Iran has repeatedly condemned the US presence in the region, slamming it as illegal, and signalled its willingness to ramp up its defences.
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he has directed the US Navy to attack and destroy any Iranian gunboats that approach and intimidate its warships at sea.
Source: Iranian Agencies
