President Donald Trump has ordered the U.S. Navy to "shoot down and destroy" any gunboats harassing U.S. ships. An order that came one week from the Navy's report of a group of Iranian boats that made harassing and dangerous approaches to the U.S. vessels in the Persian Gulf.

The president did not cite any event in particular on his tweet. Neither did he provide any detail. More so, the White House did not have any immediate comment. Meanwhile, the 5th Fleet of the U.S. Navy, based in Bahrain, referred questions on the American leader's Tweet to the Pentagon. The latter, in return, directed the questions to the White House.

Shortly, before the tweet of Trump, the Revolutionary Guard of Iran said on Wednesday, it would position the first military satellite of the Islamic Republic into orbit, intensely revealing what experts had described as "a secret space program."

Iranian Navy Taunting Vessels in the Persian Gulf

The said hat launch raised growing concerns among experts on technology if it could be employed to help Iran in developing intercontinental ballistic missiles. Iran currently has intermediate- and short-range missiles.

This was not the first time that reports about the approach of Iranian gunboats came out. Essentially, it occasionally has encounters with the U.S. Navy ships in the Gulf, and the U.S., according to reports, calls this unprofessional.

However, the Iranian gunboats hardly ever include or escalate gunfire exchanges. Also, Tehran views the American forces' heavy presence there, as a security risk. 

And, with this, Trump said on Twitter, he has instructed the U.S. Navy "to shoot down and destroy" all or any Iranian gunboats should they harass the U.S. vessels at sea.

Middle of this week, according to the U.S. Navy, the Revolutionary vessels have repeatedly crossed the sterns and bows of individual American ships at high speed and close range in the northern Gulf. Meanwhile, the American vessels comprise of the USS Lewis B. Puller, a ship serving as an "afloat landing base;" and the Navy Destroyer, USS Paul Hamilton.

Multiple Warnings Issued

The Navy said, the Americans had already issued multiple warnings through bridge-to-bridge radio. More so, they fired five short explosions from the horns of the ships, and the devices that make long-range acoustic noise. 

Despite the warning shots, the Navy did not receive an immediate response, the statement indicated. But an hour later, the Iranian boats responded to the "bridge-to-bridge queries via the radio, but then, they maneuvered away."

Iran's Claim

The U.S. commanders went through thorough training so they could make careful and nuanced judgment calls on the manner of responding to occurrences at sea. And, instead of instantaneously resorting to the employment of deadly force, it is expected for commanders to act according to specific incidences.

The pressures between the two nations intensified after the withdrawal of the Trump administration from the "international nuclear agreement "between Tehran and world powers" a couple of years ago and re-imposed crippling approvals on Iran.

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