Trump tweets order to destroy harassing Iranian gunboats
By DARLENE SUPERVILLE, JON GAMBRELL and ROBERT BURNS Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he’s ordered the Navy to “shoot down and destroy” any Iranian gunboats that harass U.S. ships. His directive comes a week after the Navy reported a group of Iranian boats made “dangerous and harassing approaches” to American vessels in the Persian Gulf. Trump isn’t citing a specific Iranian provocation in his tweet and he’s not providing details beyond the tweet. Senior Pentagon officials are giving no indication that Trump has directed a fundamental change in military policy on Iran. A spokesman for Iran’s armed forces accuses Trump of “bullying” and says Trump should focus on taking care of U.S service members infected with the coronavirus.