Iran President ‘Closely Monitoring US Actions’, Responding to President Trump Tweet

Iran President Hassan Rouhani says “The Islamic Republic of Iran closely monitors and pursues the Americans’ activities, but will never initiate any conflict or tension in the region”.

The Iranian President’s statement comes in response to a President Trump tweet earlier this week, in which the U.S. President tweeted he had “instructed the United States Navy to shoot down and destroy any and all Iranian gunboats if they harass our ships at sea”; providing a video of supposed harassment. In this instance, the U.S. alleges Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps “disrupted five U.S. naval vessels conducting a routine exercise by repeatedly engaging in high speed, harassing approaches.”

Tensions with Iran have settled down since the U.S air strike in early January killing Qasem Soleimani, the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force, and subsequent Iranian missile launch which targeted Iraqi military bases hosting U.S. military personnel.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo commented how the United States will “do everything we can to make sure we defend our folks and continue to deter the Islamic Republic of Iran.”