Iran being foolish...again

[Grand58742]

I don't know to what level they are harassing shipping in the Persian Gulf, but I'm glad someone decided to say "enough."

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/tru...ssing-us-ships

President Trump said Wednesday that he's instructed the U.S. Navy to "shoot down and destroy" any Iranian gunboats harassing American ships, in the wake of a tense encounter in the Persian Gulf.

"I have instructed the United States Navy to shoot down and destroy any and all Iranian gunboats if they harass our ships at sea," Trump tweeted.

The encounter happened last week. Six U.S. Navy warships were conducting drills with US Army Apache attack helicopters in international waters off Iran last Wednesday when they were repeatedly harassed by 11 Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Navy vessels, the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet reported.

The Iranian ships repeatedly crossed in front and behind the U.S. vessels at extremely close range and high speeds, including multiple crossings of one ship, the Puller, with a 50-yard closest point of approach and within 10 yards of another ship, the Maui's, bow, a 5th Fleet statement said.

[mack7.62]

What I want to know is what ROE's were in effect that allowed them to approach to within 200' last week, heads should roll over that BS.

[Dirk Williams]

Iran's gonna test the waters. They can't help themselves.

DW

[titsonritz]

Should spend the 30 minutes and sink their entire navy.

[SBRSarge]

Iran being foolish...again

Iran being foolish...still

There, fixed it for ya!

[Wildcat]

What I want to know is what ROE's were in effect that allowed them to approach to within 200' last week, heads should roll over that BS.

This.

The incident of the USS Cole was not -that- long ago.

Allowing then to get that close, they could ram you before it could possibly be stopped.

You don't want that to happen to your ship:
635801989856301878-USS-Cole.jpg

[SteyrAUG]

This.

The incident of the USS Cole was not -that- long ago.

Allowing then to get that close, they could ram you before it could possibly be stopped.

You don't want that to happen to your ship:
635801989856301878-USS-Cole.jpg

At lest's not forget the biggest test of the USS Cole was one of resolve, we failed that test. It was OBL proving to a yet unconvinced Al Quida that if we are attacked we usually leave rather than retaliate. This led directly to the 9-11 attacks being considered viable.

Iran is again testing our resolve. They know we are no longer McCain, Obama and Kerry...but they aren't sure yet what Trump is. They almost certainly are assuming he's got his hands full with coronavirus and can't be expected to stay on top of stuff like this.

This is his moment, he can be a Reagan or a Carter depending upon what he does and how he does it.

Our failed attempt to rescue our hostages in Iran in 1980 and Englands assault on the Iranian Embassy happened only weeks apart. Both involved us sending in our best special forces counter terrorist unit. Our effort was needlessly complicated on foreign soil and ended in disaster, which emboldened our enemies as a result. The English SAS rescue plan was far less complicated and on home ground, the assault was amazingly successful with two hostages wounded during the assault and one SAS member injured during the assault. The enemies of England took notice and paid heed for quite a long time.

Later when Reagan responded to Libya's "line of death" with a dramatic show of force, which included Kaddafi's home, Kaddafi remembered and while still an enemy of the US was always cautious. Reagan bought a lot of global respect that day, sadly Bill Clinton would squander it almost as soon as he was in office by backing down after Mogadishu.

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

We need to put the world on notice that if they think that this CHina Virus has made us a tempting target, that a bear is most dangerous when it is wounded. We have a DEEP bench of whoop-ass, and in our current state, we are not able to modulate and properly titrate the level of response to modern sensibilities. We don't have rubber mallets, brad nailers, and cordless drills, we have hammers, sledgehammers, and jack-hammers for their screws and thumbtacks. Think, before you get your can of sunshine.

And who would care right now if Iran were taken out of the oil business for a generation?

[Wildcat]

When Trump publicly backed away from pulling the trigger on a serious retaliatory strike (in response to Iran splashing the Global Hawk drone...almost a year ago now), Reagan/Carter/Clinton has been the formative question. At the time, Trump's explanation of why he deferred probably emboldened Iran to more reckless behavior....up until a Hellfire removed Gen Soleimani and his posse from Baghdad. Then they weren't quite so sure they knew the answer.

By all means, 7.62 to 20mm, it looks like we'll have to enforce some 'social distancing' in the Persian Gulf as well.

[Grand58742]

When Trump publicly backed away from pulling the trigger on a serious retaliatory strike (in response to Iran splashing the Global Hawk drone...almost a year ago now), Reagan/Carter/Clinton has been the formative question. At the time, Trump's explanation of why he deferred probably emboldened Iran to more reckless behavior....up until a Hellfire removed Gen Soleimani and his posse from Baghdad. Then they weren't quite so sure they knew the answer.

By all means, 7.62 to 20mm, it looks like we'll have to enforce some 'social distancing' in the Persian Gulf as well.

Every President in modern times has had their share of times they could have responded but didn't. Or botched the response. Take the Marine Barracks in Beirut in 1983. Reagan had the opportunity to order some significant retaliatory strikes, but waited too long on an armed response. Provided it was near on to impossible to sort friend from foe in that hellhole, but the opportunity was there to strike.

Trump not overwhelmingly attacking after the drone shoot down was not a bad move and I didn't take it as a point of weakness. We got what we needed later with Soleimani and that surgical strike. Sometimes you sacrifice a pawn in order to get the queen.