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Iranian Military Provocation Against U.S. Navy Ships in The Gulf

The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Navy almost provoked a military confrontation with the U.S. Navy as five Iranian patrol boats came within 200 yards of the three warships from the U.S. 5ft fleet on their way to the Gulf and passing through the Strait of Hormuz. [1]

The five Iranian speed boats approached the three US warships and dropped suspicious looking packages into the water and then issued a transmitted threat. The threat warned the American ships that an Iranian attack was to commence, "I am coming at you. You will explode in a couple of minutes."

The three warships, USS Hopper, USS Port Royal and USS Ingraham were preparing to open fire on the Iranian speed boats but they pulled back from the international waters before anything happened. [2]

The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini played down the incident by saying on Monday the act taken in connection with an American navy ship is something normal. [3]

The response by U.S. Secretary of Sate Condoleeza Rice was of more concern as she told BBC Arabic Service. "It was provocative, and that kind of provocation is dangerous. I would sincerely hope that the Iranians would refrain from such activity." She went on to say, "The United States under this President has sent a very strong signal that America has strong interests in the Gulf, and the United States will continue to defend its interests in the Gulf and this goes back decades." [4]

The last serious international incident occurred on March 23, 2007, when fifteen British sailors were captured by Iranian Forces in the mouth of the Shatt al-Arab waterway that separates Iran and Iraq. This happened at a time of heightened tensions over Tehranīs nuclear ambitions. A week after the British personnel was detained; the European Union deplored Iranīs seizure and called for their immediate release.

On April 4, 2007, Iranian President Ahmadinejad declared that that he freed the sailors as a "gift". [5] He announced his decision to release the Britons at a news conference In Tehran. He spoke at length, attacking the West over its policy in the Middle East, and it was more than an hour before he even mentioned the captured sailors. It was all part of the build up to his extraordinary theatrical gesture, says the BBC's diplomatic correspondent James Robbins. [6]

Simon Barrett Director of I-M-I-A International Media Intelligence Analysis said, "What we are witnessing is new found confidence and boldness by the Iranian Regime to confront the U.S. navy and send a clear message to the Gulf States about Iran's new sense of dominance in the region. Since the U.S. administration issued the National Intelligence Estimate Report (NIE) that claimed that Iran halted their nuclear weapons programme in 2003, this has taken the international focus and pressure off Iran.

The Iranian regime is testing America's military resolve and defences just as they did last year against the British Navy by capturing British Naval personnel. If Iran continues its nuclear weapons programme we will see incidents of this nature in the near future and in the future such incidents could provoke deadly confrontation as Iran seeks to dominate the region."

References

[1] "US tells Iran to back down after Gulf Skirmish", Daily Telegraph, January 8, 2008

[2] "Reckless Iranians threaten to blow up American warships in the Gulf," The Times, January 8, 2008

[3] "FM spokesman says act taken in connection with US ship is normal," Islamic Republic News Agency, January 7th 2008

[4] "US says Iran incident 'dangerous'", Iran Focus & BBC,January 8, 2008

[5] "Chronology: Crisis over British sailors in Iran," Reuters, April 4, 2007

[6] "Iranians release British sailors," BBC News, April 4, 2007