Summary
- Iranian military adviser Mohsen Rezaei said he would sink US warships if Washington tries to control the Strait of Hormuz.
- Rezaei said US warships would be sunk in Iran’s first missile attack and claimed Iran could destroy them.
- The Washington Post reported that the US is moving aircraft carriers and about 6,000 troops to the Middle East and is also planning a ground operation in Iran.
Forecast Trend Report by Period
Mohsen Rezaei warns US ships would be sunk
US deploys troops and aircraft carriers to the Middle East
Mohsen Rezaei, a military adviser to Iran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, warned that Iran would sink US warships if Washington tries to control the Strait of Hormuz.
In remarks aired on state television on June 15, Rezaei said President Donald Trump wants to act as the “police” of the Strait of Hormuz. “Is that really your role? Is that what a powerful military like the US should be doing?” he said.
“Your ships will be sunk in our first missile attack.” He added that the vessels are clearly exposed to Iranian missiles and that Iran can destroy them.
On the possibility of a US ground invasion, Rezaei said it “would be a very good thing” because Iran could take thousands of hostages and demand $1 billion for each one.
The Washington Post reported that the US is moving the aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush and about 6,000 troops to the Middle East, following the deployments of the Abraham Lincoln and Gerald R. Ford. Another 4,200 personnel from the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group and the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit are set to arrive later this month.
The report said the US is also planning ground operations in Iran in case ceasefire negotiations collapse.
Lee Jung-woo, Hankyung.com reporter, krse9059@hankyung.com
Korea Economic Daily
hankyung@bloomingbit.ioThe Korea Economic Daily Global is a digital media where latest news on Korean companies, industries, and financial markets.
