Moscow, Jul 5 (IANS/RIA Novosti): US naval ships in the Persian Gulf are within reach of Iranian missiles should the US consider an offensive against the Islamic Republic, an Iranian expert said Wednesday.

"The United States knows that its ships in the Persian Gulf are sitting ducks when it comes to Iranian missiles," Mohammad Marandi, a professor at Tehran University, said in an interview with Press TV.

"If missiles are fired at American naval ships they will hit their targets very quickly."

He warned that Western countries would face severe consequences in case of a military attack against Iran.

His comments come after the European Union brought in a new round of sanctions on Iran's oil exports in a bid to force Tehran to give up its right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes.

In response, Iran conducted a three-day missile drill, codenamed Great Prophet 7, which Marandi said was a message to Western nations that they should be concerned about escalating the situation further.

Meanwhile, a senior military commander warned that Iranian missiles could "obliterate US military bases in regional countries within minutes of an attack on Iran."

Brigadier General Amir-Ali Hajizadeh, commander of Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)'s Aerospace Division, added that Iranian missiles could also easily reach Israel.