Following the provocative act of the IRGC speedboats against US warships in the Persian Gulf, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warned Tehran in an interview published on Tuesday that it should cease its “provocations” . “It was provocative, and that kind of provocation is dangerous,” Rice also told the BBC’s Arabic service. “The United States under this president has sent a very strong signal that America has strong interests in the Gulf, that the United States will continue to defend its interests in the Gulf, and this goes back for decades,” Rice told the BBC.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates also described the aggression of the Iranian regime’s boats against American warships as worrisome incident and the source for a real threat.

The White House on Monday sternly warned Tehran against “such provocative actions.”
“We urge the Iranians to refrain from such provocative actions that could lead to a dangerous incident in the future,” National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said in a terse statement.

The US State Department said the United States will confront any threats from Iran.
“The United States will confront Iranian behavior where it seeks to do harm either to us or our friends or allies in the region. There is wide support for that within the region,” spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters.