Trump, "Destroy it" ... Middle East tensions escalate over Ilan satellite launch

After Iran's First Military Satellite Launch, Trump Warns of Attacks on Iranian Warships
US: "Terrorist Groups Now Have Satellites"
Concerns Grow Over ICBM Development Potential
Middle East Crisis Feared, Oil Prices Surge Sharply

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] "If they act annoyingly, destroy them."

U.S. President Donald Trump suddenly issued a warning to Iran, reigniting tensions between the U.S. and Iran. As geopolitical risks in the Middle East increase, international oil prices have rebounded.

On the 22nd (local time), President Trump wrote on his Twitter, "I have instructed to shoot down and destroy any Iranian armed speedboats that harass our ships at sea."

The U.S. Navy claimed that on the 15th, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) speedboats approached and threatened U.S. warships in the northern Gulf region. According to the U.S. Navy, 11 Iranian speedboats approached six U.S. warships within about 10 meters. The IRGC countered that while conducting a scheduled patrol operation, the U.S. warships approached, and despite warning signals, they were the ones who posed a threat.

If President Trump's statement is taken at face value, it can be read as a warning against maritime clashes. However, the fact that Iran announced the successful launch of its first military satellite on the same day is considered a decisive reason for the warning.

Hossein Salami, Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, is giving an interview to reporters ahead of the launch of the first military satellite. The United States designates the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization.
[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

The IRGC announced on the same day that a satellite named 'Noor' (meaning "light" in Persian or Arabic) was launched from the Dasht-e Kavir desert in Semnan Province, north-central Iran, and placed into orbit at an altitude of 425 km. Hossein Salami, Commander-in-Chief of the IRGC, provoked the U.S. by stating, "Today, any military power cannot have a comprehensive defense plan without using space," and "Now Iran can observe the world from space."

The U.S. immediately reacted. The concern was raised because Iran's satellite development could lead to intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), as seen in North Korea's case. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pressured Iran right after the satellite launch, saying, "Terrorist groups now have satellites. Iran must explain the satellite launch." John Bolton, a hardliner and former White House National Security Council (NSC) advisor, also tweeted that "Iran's military satellite launch aims to deliver nuclear weapons via ICBMs," calling for increased pressure on Iran. The Wall Street Journal described that the U.S. and Iran have entered a new phase of hostility.

The rising tensions in the Middle East positively affected oil prices. On the same day, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil for June delivery closed at $13.78 per barrel, up 19.1% ($2.21) from the previous day on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, the international oil price benchmark from the North Sea, had fallen to the $16 per barrel range but later returned to the $20 range. As of 10 a.m. on the 23rd (Korea time), the price was $20.32 per barrel.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.