The Department of Defense is reporting that three U.S. Navy vessels took evasive actions after five Iranian boats buzzed the ships transiting the Straits of Hormuz yesterday.
DoD spokesman Bryan Whitman called the Iranian provocation “a serious incident.” He said the Iranian boats approached at “distances and speed that showed reckless, dangerous and potentially hostile intent,” he said.
The incident lasted about 15 to 20 minutes, he said. The Navy ships were going into the Persian Gulf when the Iranian boats confronted them.
“Small, Iranian fast boats made some aggressive maneuvers against our vessels and indicated some hostile intent,” Whitman said. “This required our vessels to issue warnings and conduct some evasive maneuvers. The U.S. Navy vessels were prepared to take appropriate actions, but there was no engagement of the vessels.”
Bridge-to-bridge radio communications between the Iranian vessels and the U.S. Navy ships reinforced this impression of aggression.
According to CNN, the captain of one US vessel was in the process of giving the order to shoot when the Iranian ships began turning away.
The U.S. ships were operating in international waters within the Straits of Hormuz. The ships are the USS Port Royal, USS Hopper and USS Ingraham. U.S. warships will take all the precautions needed to safely transit the open waters of the straits, the Pentagon spokesman said.
“This is reckless and dangerous behavior on the part of the Iranian vessels, and it should cease immediately,” Whitman added.
Small boats such as these are typically under command of Revolutionary Guards, U.S. Navy officials said.
The U.S. ships “did take appropriate action in terms of maneuvering and communicating, and were prepared to take further action if necessary. The Defense Department will work with White House and State Department officials to come up with the appropriate way to address the incident with the Iranian government” Whitman said.
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17 Responses
So, what is the US going to do, or rather what CAN they do? – NOTHING! So let’s move on….
Nothing significant will happen with regard Iran until someone bombs them and puts an end to their dangerous activities.
They should have blown them out of the water. Restraint only emboldens them. How many of our troops have Iranians killed already in Iraq, aside from the embassy incident that seems to have been forgiven. This chevra only understands brute force, restraint is a weakness in their eyes. Peace with these chamorim can be achieved (b’derech teva, of course, but hishtadlus must be exercised) only through superior firepower. What a missed opportunity.
Politics is controlling everything, since Americans want peace, and can’t see ahead of time, so why fight Iran, let’s wait until they have full blown nuclear. .
next time shoot till you cant shoot no more
Baruch Hashem we have such chachomim who know all the ins and outs of geopolitical events to the extent that they are highly qualified to advise when the United States ought to engage in military action against its enemies!
Its a true shanda that these tayere Yiden are not military and national security advisors to the President of the U.S. They ought to replace the entire current Pentagon hierarchy!
#5 Gut Gehzugt
we have shown weakness when the chance to show strength, the us better recharge and go over their strategy in the gulf.
#5 & #6 – be honest with yourself, when a Rov comes out with something that you do not understand, do you hold your tongue and say that he must know what he is doing/talking about? Or is it only corrupt governments that you feel are beyond reproach?
My feeling too is that you are a liberal at heart and feel that we can bury our heads in the sand when it comes to terrorism in these Arab states.
#8, Instead of relying on ”your feeling”, as you put it, why don’t you read my comment history on YW? Then tell me who is the liberal.
And when a chosheva Yid or Rov says something I don’t understand, I do hold my tongue, as difficult a concept as that is for you to understand. I may ask him for an explanation , but I accept his judgement.
Baruch Hashem shoot from the hip know-it-alls (who already know what military action is necessary based on media reports alone), as some of the above commentators, are not running this country.
Joseph – glad to hear that my assessment of you was wrong.
OK – what would your approach be to the Iranian problem?
I’ll have the courage to admit I am unqualified to assess whether military action is currently advisable, not being a military expert nor knowing all the classified data that surely exists on the Iranian situation.
Thanks for asking though. I honestly believe almost all the so-called ”pundits” who profess to have the answers (outside the relevant military/political establishment) to a potential military conflict, to be full of themselves.
Joseph – but you have to agree, so are the politicans full of themselves and only thinking about the next election…
True.
Ah, so George Bush is worried about the upcoming election. Did I miss his campaign stops through Iowa and New Hampshire? You dont bomb over a relatively small incident and risk igniting world war 3 God forbid. And you dont have to be a military expert to understand that. its not that complicated.
Think USS Cole.
I am sure if the speed boats got to close orders would have been given to prevent another USS Cole.
They should have shot first then asked questions later.
What will the libs do when they go to the polls on Election Day only to discover that GW isnt running for president?!!