![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Mergansers-at-IBSP-north-4-20-2013-300x188.jpg\")
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Someone needs to remind the Iranians of Operation Praying Mantis. During that engagement, the U.S. Navy smacked the Iranian Navy around so hard, and did a lot of damage to them, that they were “feeling the pain” and embarrassment for a long time. <\/p>\n
When I was in the Navy, and my ship deployed to the Persian Gulf in 2003 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the Iranians didn’t want to come out to play with us. But again, the Persian Gulf was rapidly becoming a US\/Allied pond and they would’ve ended up with the “wrong” kind of public coverage.<\/p>\n
However, enter a non-combatant ship and the Iranians all of a sudden want to get brave. As with the period leading up to Operation Praying Mantis, the Iranians don’t appear to be able to make a solid connection between having a real leader in Washington DC, a military that normally doesn’t take those kind of games with the right leadership in Washington DC, and the butt kicking that’s given to the one that plays with fire the way the Iranians like to play with fire.<\/p>\n
Or, they could utilize a “substitute” and simply rest their fast boats in front of a US ship, knowing full well that the maritime rules of the road would require the ship to turn to avoid collision. Once the ship turns, to abide by the maritime rules of the road, the Iranians could brag about “forcing” a U.S. ship to move. I guess the real world is different from a movie<\/a><\/p>\n Thanks to the originator of the ducks on water photo above, that symbolizes what the Iranian navy would be during Praying Mantis II.<\/p>\n