President Trump tweets he has instructed the U.S. Navy to “shoot down and destroy” Iranian boats

President Donald Trump tweeted Wednesday morning that he has instructed the US Navy to “shoot down and destroy any and all Iranian gunboats” that harass US ships.

“I have instructed the United States Navy to shoot down and destroy any and all Iranian gunboats if they harass our ships at sea,” Trump wrote.

Last week that the US Navy released video that it says shows Iranian naval vessels repeatedly conducting “dangerous and harassing approaches” toward US Navy warships in the North Arabian Sea and claimed that one Iranian vessel came within 10 yards of colliding with a US ship.

It’s unclear if Trump’s tweet amounts to a standing order, and whether Central Command, which oversees operations in the Middle East, would fire upon an Iranian boat.

Officials at the Pentagon have yet to comment.