Iranian cleric warns US fleet ‘can be destroyed with one missile’

Senior Iranian cleric Ayatollah Yousef Tabatabai-Nejad has dismissed the US carrier group’s deployment in the Middle East, suggesting that the fleet could be easily destroyed in the event of war.

“Their billion-dollar fleet can be destroyed with one missile,” Tabatabai-Nejad said, speaking in Isfahan on Friday, Reuters has reported, citing local media.

“If they attempt any move, they will [face] dozens of missiles because at that time government officials won’t be in charge to act cautiously, but instead things will be in the hands of our beloved leader,” the cleric added, referring to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran is known to have a large arsenalof domestically developed conventional short-, medium- and long-range missile systems, including long-range ballistic and cruise capabilities. The US, Europe, Saudi Arabia and Israel have called these weapons a threat to regional security, while Tehran has insisted that the missiles were a “non-negotiable”deterrent for its security.