Washington, April 13 -- In a sharp escalation of regional tensions, US President Donald Trump issued a fresh warning to Tehran on Monday, asserting that the American military is prepared to sink any Iranian vessels that approach the newly established naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.

The President claimed that while the Iranian navy has been significantly degraded, the US has yet to target its smaller, high-speed vessels.

He cautioned that should these craft interfere with the blockade, the US Navy would employ the same aggressive tactics used to intercept maritime narcotics traffickers.

"Warning: If any of these ships come anywhere close to our BLOCKADE, they will be immediately ELIMINATED, using the same system of kill that we ...