Iran has threatened to sink American ships policing the Strait of Hormuz amid the blockade – and wildly claimed that a US ground invasion would be “great” for the clerical regime.
Mohsen Rezaee, the ex-commander in chief of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, mocked President Trump on state TV Wednesday — claiming he wants to be the “police” of the waterway before boasting Tehran’s missiles can take out American vessels, reported by Agence France-Presse.
“Is this really your job? Is this the job of a powerful army like the US?” the regime stooge, dressed in military uniform, threatened Trump.
“These ships of yours will be sunk by our first missiles and have created a great danger for the US military. They can definitely be exposed to our missiles and we can destroy them.”
Rezaee, a senior adviser to the Supreme Leader, challenged claims that Iran’s navy has been “completely obliterated,” posing the question, “Why does the United States not dare to cross the Strait of Hormuz?”
He asserted Tehran would not leave the strait unless its “rights” are fully secured – and vowed it was the regime setting the terms, not Washington.
“Based on past negotiations, agreements must be drafted more carefully, with a stronger focus on economic issues,” he said.
“Unlike the US, which fears prolonged war, Iran is fully prepared and experienced in long-term war.
“Unlike previous talks where the other side set the terms, Iran is now setting the preconditions.”
Rezaee vowed he wasn’t in favor of extending the fragile cease-fire – before wildly claiming a ground invasion would be good for Tehran.
The hardliner claimed Iran “would take thousands of hostages and for each hostage we would get a billion dollars.”
Meanwhile, the Pentagon is sending more than 10,000 extra troops to the Middle East, the Washington Post reported.
Around 6,000 troops are onboard the USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier and its escorting warships and around 4,200 others are set to arrive by the end of the month.
The George H.W. Bush will join the USS Abraham Lincoln and the USS Gerald Ford, which are already in the Middle East.
Last month, the US was mulling over plans to deploy thousands of troops that could potentially be used on the ground — either to secure the Hormuz strait, Kharg Island, or safeguard Iran’s stockpile of highly-enriched uranium.
The mass troop deployment comes as reports surface, claiming a second round of peace talks in Pakistan are on the horizon.
Talks, which included 21 hours of negotiation, ended last weekend without an agreement.
The White House said the Trump administration was optimistic about the prospect of reaching a deal that would end the seven-week war.
President Trump insisted Wednesday the war is “very close to being over.”
