Donald Trump instructs US Navy to destroy any Iranian vessel harassing American ships

US President Donald Trump on April 22 said that he has instructed the Navy to destroy any Iranian vessel that harasses American ship at the sea. Trump’s statement comes after reports of a group of Iranian vessels making dangerous manoeuvres near US ships in the northern Persian Gulf off Kuwait emerged last week.

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'Unprofessional interaction'

US Naval Forces Central Command had said in a statement on April 15 that Iranian Revolutionary Guard vessels repeatedly crossed the bows and sterns of the American vessels at extremely close range and high speeds. The US Navy said that its crew members issued multiple warnings via bridge-to-bridge radio, five short blasts from the ships' horns and long-range acoustic noisemaker devices, but received no response from the Iranian Navy.

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US Navy added that the IRGCN vessels responded to the bridge-to-bridge radio queries after approximately one hour and manoeuvred away from the American ships. Calling the actions dangerous and provocative, the US Navy said that it increased the risk of miscalculation and collision and were not in accordance with internationally recognised regulations and conventions.

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