Trump says he ordered US to target Iranian vessels

Donald Trump announced via Twitter the US will destroy any Iranian gunboats that threaten or harass American vessels in the Persian Gulf. It's uncertain what prompted the announcement.

By

World News

April 22, 2020 - 10:00 AM

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said today that he has ordered the Navy to “shoot down and destroy” any Iranian gunboats that harass U.S. ships, a directive that comes a week after the Navy reported a group of Iranian boats made “dangerous and harassing approaches” to American vessels in the Persian Gulf.

Trump did not cite a specific event in his tweet or provide details. The White House had no immediate comment. The U.S. Navy’s Bahrain-based 5th Fleet referred questions about the tweet to the Pentagon, and the Pentagon referred questions to the White House.

Shortly before Trump’s tweet, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said Wednesday it had put the Islamic Republic’s first military satellite into orbit, dramatically unveiling what experts described as a secret space program.

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