Posted on 05/12/2019 4:20:01 PM PDT by Mariner
GENEVA, May 12 (Reuters) - A senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander said on Sunday the U.S. military presence in the Gulf used to be a serious threat but now represents a target, the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) reported.
The U.S. military has sent forces, including an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers, to the Middle East in a move that U.S. officials said was made to counter "clear indications" of threats from Iran to American forces in the region.
The USS Abraham Lincoln is replacing another carrier rotated out of the Gulf last month.
"An aircraft carrier that has at least 40 to 50 planes on it and 6,000 forces gathered within it was a serious threat for us in the past but now it is a target and the threats have switched to opportunities," said Amirali Hajizadeh, head of the Guards' aerospace division.
"If (the Americans) make a move, we will hit them in the head," he added, according to ISNA.
U.S. President Donald Trump also has increased economic pressure on Iran, moving to cut off all its oil exports, to try to get Tehran to curb its nuclear and missile programs as well as end support for proxies in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen.
Speaking to CNBC in an interview to be broadcast on Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the U.S. deployments came in response to intelligence about potential Iranian attacks and aimed both to deter them and to be able to respond if necessary.
"We've seen this reporting," Pompeo said. "It's real. It appears to be something that is current, that is things we're worried about today."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.trust.org ...
Don’t pajama boys run Iran?
Right now there are unconfirmed reports that 4 Saudi tankers where sabotaged off Fujairah Abu Dhabi, further that 7-10 tankers in UAE waters are burning while US and French jets are overhead, heavy explosions heard. No further information available, or even confirmation. If real, not a rumor or fake, then will be stories later today.
An aircraft carrier and B52s vs. S-300PMU2 systems and 6 different types of cruise missiles is not not a good bet.
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