Trump Says He Told Navy to ‘Shoot Down’ Iranian Boats

President Trump said on Wednesday that he has told the Navy to shoot down and destroy any Iranian fast boats that harass American naval ships, in what would be a sharp escalation of the risky maneuvers performed by the two adversaries in the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea.

The president’s abrupt statement, which he announced on Twitter, came a full week after the Pentagon accused Iran of sending 11 fast boats to conduct “dangerous and harassing approaches” to six American warships in the Persian Gulf.

The Iranian vessels, according...