President Donald Trump tweeted Wednesday morning that he's instructed the Navy to "shoot down and destroy" Iranian gunboats should they harass U.S. ships.
Trump's tweet came hours after multiple media outlets reported that Iran had launched its first military satellite.
Earlier this year, tensions between the U.S. and Iran ratcheted up when President Donald Trump ordered the assassination of Qassem Soleimani, one of Iran's top military leaders.
Iran responded with a missile strike at an Iraqi military base. While no U.S. or ally troops were killed in the strike, the Pentagon has since reported that dozers of U.S. soldiers suffered traumatic brain injuries during the strike.
This story is breaking and will be updated.
I have instructed the United States Navy to shoot down and destroy any and all Iranian gunboats if they harass our ships at sea.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 22, 2020