US/Iran Naval confrontation

[Cookiely]

Next time the boxes could be a real threat. I'm surprised they allowed them to get that close. I wonder if they are allowed to fire on Iranian ships without prior approval from higher echelon?
Or does the Captain of a ship have total authority?

[Chacor]

In international waters, firing by either side would effectively be a declaration of war. Iran is not stupid. They knew what they were doing; they never had the intention of bombing the US ships, rather, as Dr Rice has put it, Iran was trying to provoke a reaction.

Then they could claim to the world that they're the defenceless ones and the US had unilaterally attacked Iran.

[Cryomaniac]

Next time the boxes could be a real threat. I'm surprised they allowed them to get that close. I wonder if they are allowed to fire on Iranian ships without prior approval from higher echelon?
Or does the Captain of a ship have total authority?

I don't know, but my guess would be that the captain can order them to fire if he feels his ship is in danger.

[feederband]

Next time the boxes could be a real threat. I'm surprised they allowed them to get that close. I wonder if they are allowed to fire on Iranian ships without prior approval from higher echelon?
Or does the Captain of a ship have total authority?

Captain in complete control...Now they do have certain requirements to fire...But if he feels he needs to take out a immediate threat he will take them out...

[MGC]

As as Navy vet, I'm shocked that the CO's of those ships allowed the Iranian boats to approach as closely as they did considering what happened to the USS Cole. I would not be surprised if there is an Admiral's Mast for the CO's to find out why they allowed the boats to get so close. The Iranians must have a short memory as the US Navy sunk half its fleet back in the 80's. I dare the Iranians to try this again exspecially when a carrier is transiting the straights......MGC

[Cookiely]

Please listen to the video of the confrontation.
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/ ... e.dept.DOD
The American officer needs to put a little feeling into his warning to say the least. Who thinks a little stronger wording would be nice. The Iranian officer on the itsy bitsy boat needs his head examined. I can't believe they let that boat get that close.

[Chacor]

As previously said - an attack by either side (attack, not provocation but actual action) in international waters is a declaration of war. Not something the Iranians intend to do, although what they want the Americans to do. Had the Americans fired and hit the Iranians that is an act of war.

[Dionne]

"You will explode in a few minutes".....would have been enough for me.....but remember, I am former Infantry. It sounds like the Navy officer giving the warning was reading from a scripted text.....prepared specifically for this type of situation. It is my opinion he used sound judgement. I also suspect that we were within seconds of defensive measures.

[Chacor]

Iran is now claiming the Americans "fabricated" the video.

[Brent]

Iran is now claiming the Americans "fabricated" the video.

[mf_dolphin]

If they try it again we should fabricate some wreckage

[Dionne]

Here's an interesting thought.....the wreckage would be nothing more than fabric and rather difficult to video. Have you seen how fast the rockets we have mounted on hummers cruise? I would imagine we have similar in our Naval fleet?

[MGC]

Those small boats were in too close for the missles or the big guns the ships have.
There are 50-cal machine guns available for the close in threats. The 50's would have made mince meat of the Iranian boats. No need to check for suvivors, there would be none......MGC

[Dionne]

It would be really cool if nobody died tonight during combat.

[Stephanie]

In international waters, firing by either side would effectively be a declaration of war. Iran is not stupid. They knew what they were doing; they never had the intention of bombing the US ships, rather, as Dr Rice has put it, Iran was trying to provoke a reaction.

Then they could claim to the world that they're the defenceless ones and the US had unilaterally attacked Iran.

I think that the majority of the "sane" world would know better. Unfortunately, it would be too late, but hey, what's ONE MORE fattah on the US??

You know it was timed for President's Bush's arrival into the Middle East.

The captain of the ship could've "ACCIDENTLY" ran over one of them. That's not an act of war.

[Chacor]

Iran has released its version of the video.

Iranian state-run TV has broadcast video it says shows a controversial naval standoff between Revolutionary Guards patrols and US warships.

There is no sign of threatening behaviour by the Iranian boats, as alleged by US officials who said their actions were dangerous and provocative.

However, the four-minute clip does not appear to show the whole incident in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday.

Iran accuses the US of faking video and audio evidence to support its claims.

"Coalition warship number 73 this is an Iranian patrol," the Iranian commander is heard to say in clear English in the footage, broadcast on Iran's English-language Press TV .

"This is coalition warship number 73. I am operating in international waters," comes the reply.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7180567.stm

Having watched both videos I'm tempted to say both are fabricated.

[Coredesat]

The captain of the ship could've "ACCIDENTLY" ran over one of them. That's not an act of war.

I know you were making a joke, but that would still be viewed as an attacking move and would still be considered an act of war under international law.

[Pburgh]

I get so PO'd being called a liar or fabricator. (by anyone)

[Chacor]

Senior United States officials have admitted that the threat to blow up American warships in the Strait of Hormuz were possibly not made by Iranian speedboats, according to the BBC.

The BBC says that senior Navy sources have told them that "the voice on a Pentagon tape could instead have come from another ship in the area or a transmitter on land," and that a well-known American newspaper had pointed out "US-released audio includes no ambient noise of the kind that might be expected if the broadcast had come from on one of the speedboats."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7181929.stm

[mf_dolphin]

I really don't see where the source of the audio is anything other than proof that this was an organized attempt to provoke the US into taking offensive action.