The Trump administration will continue to launch retaliatory strikes against Iran, but the regime cannot afford to go to war with the United States, Newsmax national security analyst Raymond Tanter said Thursday.
"Iran will continue to launch attacks on unmanned drones," Tanter said in an interview. "Military strikes against American drones will result in counterstrikes by the United States on the missiles that took down the drones."
President Donald Trump said Thursday a U.S. Navy ship had "destroyed" an Iranian drone in the Strait of Hormuz after the aircraft had flown within 1,000 yards of the USS Boxer and had ignored "multiple calls to stand down."
The U.S. response was the latest incident to stir tensions in the Persian Gulf.
"This is the latest of many provocative and hostile actions by Iran against vessels operating in international waters," Trump said at the White House. "The United States reserves the right to defend our personnel, facilities and interests.
"The drone was immediately destroyed," the president added.
The Pentagon said the USS Boxer had taken "defensive action" against a drone, not disclosing whether it was Iranian, and a spokesman said the incident happened Thursday morning as the Boxer moved into the Strait of Hormuz.
Tensions in the Gulf region remain high, stoking fears the United States and Iran could stumble into war.
But Tehran could ill afford a battle with the U.S., Tanter told Newsmax.
"I don't expect a war to occur, because a war would close down the Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz," he said. "Iran needs to export its oil in order to exist.
"You have a country of 80 million. It's larger than Iraq," Tanter explained. "It's not as large geographically as Saudi Arabia, but it's more important than Saudi Arabia, because of its oil and it's a trouble-making country.
"It's a rogue regime."
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