After conflicting public statements, it’s not clear whether U.S. ships will start shooting at Iranian boats
Meghann Myers
Up to 11 vessels from Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps navy came into close quarters with U.S. ships in the Arabian Gulf recently. The vessels approached the American ships with manned guns and ran across their bows and sterns repeatedly. Iran later claimed it was the U.S. that had interfered with one if its patrols.
Iran shouldn’t be surprised if next time one of its speedboats zigzags in front a U.S. ship in the Persian Gulf and it ends up blown out of the water, but it’s not a new rule of engagement.
That is the message from both senior Pentagon leadership and President Trump, a week after video surfaced of 11 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps speedboats swarming several Navy ships, prompting Trump to tweet a threat.
“I have instructed the United States Navy to shoot down and destroy any and all Iranian gunboats if they harass our ships at sea,†he wrote Wednesday.
https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2020/04/23/after-conflicting-public-statements-its-not-clear-whether-us-ships-will-start-shooting-at-iranian-boats/
