Article

2019-07-21 Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Pentagon sees high risk of ‘unintended conflict' with Iran

[Washington Examiner] U.S. military officials see a high risk of "unintended conflict" with Iran due to rising tensions in the Persian Gulf, according to top Pentagon official.

"The potential for miscalculation is high," John Rood, the undersecretary of defense for policy, said at the Aspen Security Forum. "This kind of friction in a small waterway starts to increase the possibility of unintended conflict."

Iran seized a British-flagged oil tanker on Friday, the latest threat to international shipping in the vital Strait of Hormuz in a standoff that has intensified since early May, when President Trump tightened sanctions on the regime’s oil industry and nuclear program.

"I do worry ‐ either through intention and misunderstanding our resolve, or, through an accident ‐ that we could see the Iranians take some step that would be very concerning," Rood added during a Saturday afternoon question-and-answer session. "That would be a grave mistake on their part that would be ‐ it’s something that we are studiously trying to avoid."

Iranian forces surrounded a British tanker and boarded it from a helicopter one day after U.S. forces downed an Iranian drone that approached to "within a threatening range" of a Navy shipper. The boarding of the British tanker was an apparent reaction to last month’s detention of an Iranian tanker that was reportedly delivering oil to Syria in violation of European Union sanctions.

"It raises very serious questions about the security of British shipping, and indeed international shipping, in the Strait of Hormuz," British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said Saturday.

Iran has targeted several oil tankers in the Persian Gulf since May, as Tehran and Washington jockey for leverage in advance of a prospective negotiation over Iran’s nuclear program in the wake of Trump’s exit from the 2015 nuclear deal.

Posted by Besoeker 2019-07-21 01:02|| || Front Page|| [11128 views ] Top
File under: Govt of Iran

#1 If anything is actually done the Supreme Leader and the head of the IRGC should be targets #1 & #2. All other targets are side effects that would be ignored by #1 and #2.

Posted by 3dc 2019-07-21 03:38|| 2019-07-21 03:38|| Front Page Top

#2 I really don't understand why the Pentagon seems too act like they are really worried about Iran. Russia has already told them they are on their own if they start shit, we don't need troops on the ground. Iran is nothing but a bully and just needs too be hit in the mouth a couple good times.

Posted by chris 2019-07-21 10:49|| 2019-07-21 10:49|| Front Page Top

#3 I think 3dc has it exactly right. We have to know what targets directly relating to Khamenei and the IRGC are. A few judicious strikes there, while leaving ordinary Iranians alone, might work wonders.

Posted by Tom 2019-07-21 14:54|| 2019-07-21 14:54|| Front Page Top

#4 Taking out their nuclear research and production capability should be included in the early (Day 1-3) sorties. Elimination of their naval and air capabilities followed by command & control centers, soon to follow. By day 4 or 5 they should be anxious to discuss terms. Mix it up a bit to make it interesting, C2 one day, research the next.

Posted by Besoeker 2019-07-21 16:37|| 2019-07-21 16:37|| Front Page Top

#5 F-35 SEAD day 1&2. After that everybody parties on C2, WMD sites, and coastal everything. We should rest on the 7th day.

Posted by The peanut gallery 2019-07-21 17:28|| 2019-07-21 17:28|| Front Page Top

09:43 Mullah Richard
09:27 Warthog
09:11 Mercutio
09:07 AlmostAnonymous5839
08:52 Matt
08:24 Matt
08:20 SteveS
07:43 Procopius2k
07:42 BrerRabbit
07:42 Procopius2k
07:39 Procopius2k
07:36 Procopius2k
07:35 Procopius2k
07:34 trailing wife
07:31 Procopius2k
07:30 NN2N1
07:22 NN2N1
07:18 trailing wife
07:14 Richard Aubrey
07:10 NN2N1
07:09 Besoeker
07:03 NN2N1
06:58 NN2N1
06:58 Besoeker