(Express) – Iran has warned US President Donald Trump the US fleet dispatched to the Persian Gulf will face “dozens of missiles” if it “attempts any move”, raising the prospect of a direct, explosive military confrontation. And US officials have said there was an “increasing possibility” of Tehran or its regional proxies launching strikes against US commercial ships including oil tankers as the situation continues to deteriorate. The ISNA news agency quoted hardliner Ayatollah Tabatabai-Nejad in the city of Isfahan as

saying: “Their billion-dollar fleet can be destroyed with one missile. “If they attempt any move, they will face dozens of missiles because at that time government officials won’t be in charge to act cautiously, but instead things will be in the hands of our beloved leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.” In the latest tense exchange between Tehran and Washington, Iran’s hardline Revolutionary Guards separately said Iran would not negotiate with the United States, a stance likely in part to be intended to discourage Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and his moderate allies from taking up a US offer of talks. READ MORE


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