Tensions flaring again between U.S., Iran
WASHINGTON — Tensions between Washington and Tehran flared up again Wednesday as Iran’s Revolutionary Guard conducted a space launch that could advance the country’s long-range missile program, and President Donald Trump threatened to “shoot down and destroy” any Iranian gunboats that harass Navy ships.
The launch was a first for the Guard, revealing what experts described as a secret military space program that could accelerate Iran’s ballistic missile development, a major source of U.S. and international criticism.
American officials said it was too early to know whether an operational Iranian satellite was successfully placed into orbit, but Trump’s top diplomat accused Iran of violating U.N. resolutions.
After Iran’s announcement, Trump tweeted, without citing any specific incident: “I have instructed the United States Navy to shoot down and destroy any and all Iranian gunboats if they harass our ships at sea.”
Last Wednesday, the U.S. Navy reported that 11 Revolutionary Guard naval gunboats had carried out “dangerous and harassing approaches” to American Navy and Coast Guard vessels in the Persian Gulf. The Americans used a variety of nonlethal means to warn off the Iranian boats, and they eventually left.
Such encounters were relatively common several years ago, but have been rare recently.
Iran said the U.S. was to blame for the incident.
Conflict between Iran and the United States escalated after the Trump administration withdrew from the international nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers in 2018 and reimposed crippling sanctions. Last May, the U.S. sent thousands more troops, including long-range bombers and an aircraft carrier, to the Middle East in response to what it called a growing threat of Iranian attacks on U.S. interests in the region.
The tensions spiked when U.S. forces killed Iran’s most powerful general, Qassem Soleimani, in January. Iran responded with a ballistic missile attack on a base in western Iraq where U.S. troops were present. No Americans were killed, but more than 100 suffered mild traumatic brain injuries from the blasts.
At the Pentagon on Wednesday, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. John Hyten, a former commander of American nuclear and space forces, welcomed Trump’s tweet as a useful warning to Iran. He drew a parallel between last week’s naval encounter in the Gulf and Wednesday’s space launch, which he said was just another example of Iranian bad behavior.
Meanwhile, senior Pentagon officials gave no indication Trump had directed a fundamental change in military policy on Iran.
“The president issued an important warning to the Iranians,” Deputy Defense Secretary David Norquist said at a Pentagon news conference when asked about the tweet. “What he was emphasizing is, all of our ships retain the right of self-defense.” Norquist called the tweet “a very useful thing.”
Rep. Elaine Luria, a Virginia Democrat and Navy veteran, said Trump’s tweeting could lead to war.
“The president’s continued issuing of orders to our military via tweet is a threat to our national security and, if followed without clear guidance and rules of engagement, will unnecessarily escalate tensions with Iran and possibly lead to all-out-conflict,” she said.
Gen. Abolfazl Shekarchi, a spokesman for Iran’s armed forces, accused Trump of “bullying” and said the American president should focus on caring for U.S. service members infected with the coronavirus.
The space launch has potentially bigger implications for conflict with Iran. U.S. officials believe it’s intended to advance Iran’s development of intercontinental-range ballistic missiles that could threaten the U.S.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United Nations needs to evaluate whether the space launch was consistent with Security Council resolutions.
“I don’t think it remotely is, and I think Iran needs to be held accountable for what it’s done,” Pompeo said.