Iran Commander Calls U.S. Military In Gulf A Target Not A Threat

(Reuters) May 12 2019 20:48 GENEVA - 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 6000 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. Weve seen this reporting Pompeo said. Its real. It appears to be something that is current that is things were worried about today. In the event that Iran decided to come after an American interest - whether that be in Iraq or Afghanistan or Yemen or any place in the Middle East - we are prepared to respond in an appropriate way he said adding that our aim is not war.