Politics | Iran In 'Abrupt' Tweet, Trump Writes of Shooting Down Iranian Boats But a tweet won't change the rules of engagement By Kate Seamons Posted Apr 22, 2020 10:35 AM CDT Copied President Trump, followed by Vice President Mike Pence, heads over to speak about the coronavirus in the Rose Garden of the White House on April 15, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Both Politico and the New York Times frame it as an "abrupt" tweet from the president: "I have instructed the United States Navy to shoot down and destroy any and all Iranian gunboats if they harass our ships at sea," wrote President Trump on Wednesday morning. It comes a week after 11 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy vessels came very close to six US Navy and Coast Guard ships in the Persian Gulf and zipped around at high speeds. The Times notes Trump said nothing at the time. Politico spoke with a former defense official who said that if such an order was made, it would be a major shake-up to the current rules of engagement, which stipulate that commanders respond only to direct threats; it gives the example of an Iranian ship firing at an American one. Harassment doesn't fall under the umbrella of "direct threat," says Michael Mulroy, who was recently the Pentagon's Middle East policy chief. "The US Navy has clear rules of engagement ... [that] are consistent with all applicable laws of the sea and armed conflict," and escalate from audible warnings to flares to maneuvers; firing shots generally come as a last resort. A tweet likely isn't sufficient to change those rules of engagement, explains former Navy Secretary Ray Mabus. The Times spoke with a Defense Department official who says no formal policy directive from the president has been received. Another source says there have been no repeats of last week's incident. Read These Next New York Times ranks the best movies of the 21st century. A man has been deported for kicking an airport customs beagle. White House rolls with Trump's 'daddy' nickname. Actor Sam Rockwell gets residuals from movie he wasn't in. Report an error