Trump orders the navy to destroy Iranian vessels forcefully if they try to "harass" the ship. However, upon hearing this, Iran promises to creash U.S. navy forces.
Active U.S. navy ships might come under attack from Iranian gunboats. As Iran's Revolutionary Guard conducted a space launch that could improve their missile technology, America's vanguard is readying itself from harassing attacks.
Iran's ambitions in space
Iran has done illegal actions by launching a satellite in space, but there is no indication if it was successful or not. It was the first attempt for the Guard, which developed a secret space program and it could bolster the long-range ballistic missile program for Iran too. Iran is now accused of violating the UN resolution.
When Iran made the statement, U.S. President Trump wrote on Twitter,"I have instructed the United States Navy to shoot down and destroy any Iranian gunboats if they harass our ships at sea."
Dangerous overtures by Iranian gunboats
On Wednesday, a small flotilla of 11 naval gunboats was actively maneuvering and getting too close to American Navy and Coast Guard vessel in the Persian Gulf. The Navy used non-lethal means to shoo them away. Later the Iranian gunboats disengaged then left the vicinity. This kind of activity is common several years back, though actions like this are rare and not done by the Guard.
In an interview, President Trump explained and was quoted, "We don't want their gunboats surrounding our boats, and travelling 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." The U.S. president was referring to the provocation of the Iranian gunboat.
But, Iran turned the blame and said the fault of the American Navy. They also accussed Trump of bullying, suggesting that he should focus on looking after U.S. service members who contracted coronavirus.
Beginnings of the escalation
Iran and the U.S. had a falling out after President Trump left the international nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers in 2018. Later sanctions were foisted on Iran with their violations of the agreement. In May, the US sent troops, military hardware, and an aircraft carrier to the Middle East. The reason, according to the American government, is that Iran is a threat to American interests, which is contrary to the common good.
Things spiked when U,S. forces assassinated the Iranian general, Qassem Soleimani, in January. Soon after Iran shot a ballistic missile into a U.S. base in western Iraq, where American troops were stationed. There were no Americans killed but they had mild brain injuries from the powerful blast.
The response of the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. John Hyten, agreed with the commander in chief, comparing the naval scuffle to the space launch, he added, "just another example of Iranian malign behavior."
For all intents, Iran fears that the US forces threaten its security.
President Trump did not single out a specific hostile action in his tweet. Most senior officials in the Pentagon were not sure if he had changes in his Iran policy too.
According to David Norquist, deputy secretary of defense, answer when asked a comment about the tweet, "What he was emphasizing is, all of our ships retain the right of self-defense."
