Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Playing Chicken in the Gulf of Aden: Obama Displays His Feathers

As reported on Wednesday by Iran's Fars News Agency:

"Iranian destroyer, Alborz, locked its missile systems on an invading vessel in the Gulf of Aden after a high-speed boat left Yemen's coasts and rushed to attack it.

According to reports, the invading vessel changed course and returned to the coast after the Iranian destroyer warned it would target the vessel in seconds.

. . . .

The incident took place as Iran's 34th fleet of warships is in the Gulf of Aden on an anti-piracy mission, and as an Iranian cargo ships carrying humanitarian aid is on its way to Yemen and as the naval fleets of the US and some other western countries have several times reduced their distance from the Iranian fleet in violation of the international rules.

In a last such case, the US and French warships and military aircraft changed their direction in the Gulf of Aden on Saturday night after being warned by an Iranian flotilla to keep distant.

. . . .

Asked about the US and Saudi Arabia's claims that the Iranian warships planned to deliver weapons to Ansarullah revolutionary movement in Yemen when they received a warning from the US warships and left the region, [Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari] said the Iranian fleet of warships were sent to the free waters based on the international laws to protect the cargo ships and oil tankers from pirates' attacks, and not delivering weapons to other nations."

In short, Iran continues to thumb its nose at the US military, confident that US will not take any action that might jeopardize the nuclear deal between the P5+1 and Iran, which is so important for purposes of Obama's legacy.

1 comment:

  1. One can only imagine how Iran (and everyone else) is interpreting the new recruitment advertising wherein the mission of the USNavy, Air Force, and Army seems to be humanitarian aid, with combat an afterthought.
    US Army ad features doctor - lawyer- engineer - other professions, and then combat. USNavy ad totally vague.

    Obama's legacy: no cojones in pursuit of OneWorld-ism

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