A senior Iranian naval official contended that "the presence of the Americans in the Persian Gulf region has reached its end and they must leave the region... their presence is just for show, futile and deceitful". In related remarks, a senior IRGC official claimed that "an aircraft carrier... was a serious threat for us in the past, but is now a target and threats have turned into opportunity". He also warned that "if Americans make a [mistaken] move, we will hit them on the head".