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Deterring Iranian Provocations at Sea

(Washington Institute for Near East Policy) Cmdr. Jeremy Vaughan, U.S. Navy - Since January 2016, surface elements from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGC-N) have harassed U.S. naval vessels in the Gulf thirty times, 50% more than during the same period last year. On at least three occasions, they closed to a distance that could make a collision more likely or could render U.S. ships nearly defenseless to a boat packed with explosives. This new normal in the Gulf needs to be reversed through an approach involving quiet, indirect diplomacy and, when necessary, ship action to restore a wider berth for U.S. vessels. Failure to do so could result in an accident or incident involving U.S. and Iranian naval forces. All U.S. forces have the inherent right and obligation of self-defense and are not required to "absorb the first round" before taking defensive measures. Washington should engage in a preemptive public diplomacy campaign to indicate that unsafe and unprofessional conduct afloat will no longer be tolerated. On August 24, the USS Squall fired three .50 caliber shots across the bow of the lead IRGC-N vessel harassing U.S. naval vessels. Following the warning shots, the IRGC-N vessels halted their approach and then departed. Encouraging commanding officers to take warning action, including warning shots, earlier will reset the boundaries of the U.S.-IRGC-N maritime relationship and may cause Iran to reconsider its most dangerous actions in the Gulf. The writer is a visiting military fellow at The Washington Institute.
2016-09-13 00:00:00
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