Did Iran 'toy' with the U.S.?

[Daneshmand]

Did Iran toy with the U.S.? - LA Times

President Obama was set to deliver his final State of the Union address Tuesday, news came down that 10 American Navy crew members aboard two small boats somehow (we don't yet know the technical details) ended up in Iranian waters. The Iranians seized the boats and detained the sailors. Then, Wednesday morning, the Iranians released their “hostages.”

Although that can't have been a pleasant experience for anyone involved, the truth is that the Iranians were well within their rights to act as they did, visited no harm on the Americans and quickly resolved the issue.

Yet Washington's Iran hawks — who have fought Obama's groundbreaking diplomacy with the Islamic Republic tooth and nail — didn't let the non-crisis go to waste. Within hours they were gleefully scoring points, using the incident to justify their opposition to the Iran deal and thumb their noses at Obama's naive trust in the Iranian government.


In their eagerness to malign a state that they've always regarded as an enemy, and a nuclear deal they've opposed from the get-go, Washington's hawks missed the real story. What's remarkable is not that the Iranians detained a few American sailors, but that they ended their detention so quickly.

In 2007, 15 British sailors and marines were seized by Iranian authorities while conducting an inspection of a merchant ship in what the Iranians claimed were their territorial waters. It took Iran, then under the leadership of the hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, 13 days to release the Britons. By contrast, Tuesday's incident — under the leadership of moderate President Hassan Rouhani — lasted less than 24 hours.

If the Obama administration hadn't signed the nuclear deal with Iran, if it had maintained the George W. Bush administration status quo, Tuesday's mishap might well have been a repeat of 2007.

The Bush administration barred high-level contacts with the Iranians, leading American military officials to express concern that precisely the type of incident that occurred Tuesday could spiral out of control.

“We've not had a direct link of communication with Iran since 1979,” Adm. Michael G. Mullen said in 2011. “And I think that has planted many seeds for miscalculation. When you miscalculate, you can escalate and misunderstand.” He added, “Any channel would be terrific.”

Now we have a channel, and not just any channel. After news of the incident broke, Secretary of State John F. Kerry immediately called Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, whom he knows quite well. The men have established a rapport over two years of tough negotiations leading up to the nuclear deal.

It's worth noting that the sailors were detained by Iran's Revolutionary Guard, a redoubt of hard-line opposition to diplomacy with the West and which has shown a willingness to defy Rouhani in order to embarrass him. On this occasion, the guard corps chose a different course.

Neoconservatives often bristle at the notion that our hard-liners and their Iranian counterparts seem to be working toward the same goal: namely, confrontation between our two nations. Returning to the imaginary scenario of Iranian boats drifting into an American naval base, one can't help but wonder, would our hard-liners have acted as sensibly as the Revolutionary Guard?

 

[Daneshmand]

The gem of the article:

Returning to the imaginary scenario of Iranian boats drifting into an American naval base, one can't help but wonder, would our hard-liners have acted as sensibly as the Revolutionary Guard?

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

The gem of the article:

There's so many naval bases across the world and rarely do people get shot at. Many bases are in densely populated areas.

 

[Arminkh]

Did Iran toy with the U.S.? - LA Times

President Obama was set to deliver his final State of the Union address Tuesday, news came down that 10 American Navy crew members aboard two small boats somehow (we don't yet know the technical details) ended up in Iranian waters. The Iranians seized the boats and detained the sailors. Then, Wednesday morning, the Iranians released their “hostages.”

Although that can't have been a pleasant experience for anyone involved, the truth is that the Iranians were well within their rights to act as they did, visited no harm on the Americans and quickly resolved the issue.

Yet Washington's Iran hawks — who have fought Obama's groundbreaking diplomacy with the Islamic Republic tooth and nail — didn't let the non-crisis go to waste. Within hours they were gleefully scoring points, using the incident to justify their opposition to the Iran deal and thumb their noses at Obama's naive trust in the Iranian government.


In their eagerness to malign a state that they've always regarded as an enemy, and a nuclear deal they've opposed from the get-go, Washington's hawks missed the real story. What's remarkable is not that the Iranians detained a few American sailors, but that they ended their detention so quickly.

In 2007, 15 British sailors and marines were seized by Iranian authorities while conducting an inspection of a merchant ship in what the Iranians claimed were their territorial waters. It took Iran, then under the leadership of the hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, 13 days to release the Britons. By contrast, Tuesday's incident — under the leadership of moderate President Hassan Rouhani — lasted less than 24 hours.

If the Obama administration hadn't signed the nuclear deal with Iran, if it had maintained the George W. Bush administration status quo, Tuesday's mishap might well have been a repeat of 2007.

The Bush administration barred high-level contacts with the Iranians, leading American military officials to express concern that precisely the type of incident that occurred Tuesday could spiral out of control.

“We've not had a direct link of communication with Iran since 1979,” Adm. Michael G. Mullen said in 2011. “And I think that has planted many seeds for miscalculation. When you miscalculate, you can escalate and misunderstand.” He added, “Any channel would be terrific.”

Now we have a channel, and not just any channel. After news of the incident broke, Secretary of State John F. Kerry immediately called Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, whom he knows quite well. The men have established a rapport over two years of tough negotiations leading up to the nuclear deal.

It's worth noting that the sailors were detained by Iran's Revolutionary Guard, a redoubt of hard-line opposition to diplomacy with the West and which has shown a willingness to defy Rouhani in order to embarrass him. On this occasion, the guard corps chose a different course.

Neoconservatives often bristle at the notion that our hard-liners and their Iranian counterparts seem to be working toward the same goal: namely, confrontation between our two nations. Returning to the imaginary scenario of Iranian boats drifting into an American naval base, one can't help but wonder, would our hard-liners have acted as sensibly as the Revolutionary Guard?

They still don't get the fact that IRGC is a military force with its own protocols and procedures. They are not an independent body acting on their own. It was not a game of chicken. They acted according to their duties and protocols and then when they made sure there were no threats, released the sailors. That's it.

 

[Daneshmand]

There's so many naval bases across the world and rarely do people get shot at. Many bases are in densely populated areas.

That is true. I just hope if ever Iranian navy boats came to American waters by mistake just off the coast of NY, the US navy/coast guard would not kill them all and ask the questions later.

They still don't get the fact that IRGC is a military force with its own protocols and procedures. They are not an independent body acting on their own. It was not a game of chicken. They acted according to their duties and protocols and then when they made sure there were no threats, released the sailors. That's it.

Yes, American government has accepted that, officially. The US government did not challenge the Iranian version of events that the boats had indeed crossed into Iranians waters. And it was nice that a diplomatic channel now exists between Kerry and Zarif so that such problems can be solved quickly and without any physical harm to parties. In old days, the only contact was through a low level inter-mediation via Switzerland and it took days and weeks to get any message across, if at all.

 

[Arminkh]

That is true. I just hope if ever Iranian navy boats came to American waters by mistake just off the coast of NY, the US navy/coast guard would not kill them all and ask the questions later.



Yes, American government has accepted that, officially. The US government did not challenge the Iranian version of events that the boats had indeed crossed into Iranians waters. And it was nice that a diplomatic channel now exists between Kerry and Zarif so that such problems can be solved quickly and without any physical harm to parties. In old days, the only contact was through a low level inter-mediation via Switzerland and it took days and weeks to get any message across, if at all.

Yes, I don't know if you saw this but Kerry thanked Iranian Authorities for taking good care of the sailors and quick response. I'm starting to like this guy. Unfortunately he is not going to be around much longer. I'm not sure if this informal diplomatic line would continue to exist if either Kerry or Zarif leave the office.

Kerry Thanks Iranians for Releasing U.S. Sailors

Next coming in the pipeline is Canada restoring the ties with Iran. It was one Treadue's promises during the election.

 

[Daneshmand]

Yes, I don't know if you saw this but Kerry thanked Iranian Authorities for taking good care of the sailors and quick response. I'm starting to like this guy. Unfortunately he is not going to be around much longer. I'm not sure if this informal diplomatic line would continue to exist if either Kerry or Zarif leave the office.

Kerry Thanks Iranians for Releasing U.S. Sailors

That might be the case, unfortunately. But there is a possibility that what we are seeing translate into some kind of a strategic understanding. Obama did not have the guts and the bravery of Nixon, otherwise he should have done with Iran, what Nixon did with China.

 

[Arminkh]

That might be the case, unfortunately. But there is a possibility that what we are seeing translate into some kind of a strategic understanding. Obama did not have the guts and the bravery of Nixon, otherwise he should have done with Iran, what Nixon did with China.

As long as Trump or other crazy people who are currently running for presidency don't get into the office.

I think Nixon job was easier. With China's threat gone, US hawks who are usually supported by Weapon industry had Soviet Union to use as the bad guy and justify more sales of the weapons.

Today, Hawks are running out of "bad guys". There is ISIS which is really not a big threat, There is North Korea and There is Iran. With Iran no longer perceived as a bad guy, how much weapon do you need to contain North Korea? You see what I mean? That's why I think the resistance Obama is facing is much fiercer than what Nixon was facing back then.

 

[Daneshmand]

As long as Trump or other crazy people who are currently running for presidency don't get into the office.

I think Nixon job was easier. With China's threat gone, US hawks who are usually supported by Weapon industry had Soviet Union to use as the bad guy and justify more sales of the weapons.

Today, Hawks are running out of "bad guys". There is ISIS which is really not a big threat, There is North Korea and There is Iran. With Iran no longer perceived as a bad guy, how much weapon do you need to contain North Korea? You see what I mean? That's why I think the resistance Obama is facing is much fiercer than what Nixon was facing back then.

Actually, US is trying to re-position its foreign policy and balance out China and Russia. So an opening might arise and a republican president visiting Tehran like Nixon visited Beijing, would be much more palatable than democrat presidents whom are seen as weak by American hardliners (who will be the principal opposition to such a rapprochement). Politics is a dirty game. Nixon even had gone as much as sabotaging his own country's government in order to get to office, Trump by comparison is a saint. The real issue between Iran and US, is for American security establishment to understand and internalize that the real threat they are facing is actually from their own Takfiri allies. And they will have to prioritize whether with Iran or without. It's inevitable.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

That is true. I just hope if ever Iranian navy boats came to American waters by mistake just off the coast of NY, the US navy/coast guard would not kill them all and ask the questions later.
.

LOL, you'd have to try really hard to get shot at.
I doubt they even shoot deck guns at drug smugglers. Although their helicopters will shot at them occasionally.

 

[Daneshmand]

LOL, you'd have to try really hard to get shot at.
I doubt they even shoot deck guns at drug smugglers. Although their helicopter will shot at them.

Well, whatever the truth maybe, but the perception among the world's citizenry is otherwise. The general perception whether in Iran or in Germany or in Canada or China, is that US shoots at anything that moves.

 

[Dungeness]

The gem of the article:

No sure what US Coast Guard would do, but pretty sure what Turkey would do.

 

[Daneshmand]

No sure what US Coast Guard would do, but pretty sure what Turkey would do.

They are trained by Americans, remember?

 

[Oldman1]

No sure what US Coast Guard would do, but pretty sure what Turkey would do.

Depends on the situation. If you shoot at them, they will respond. Also fired warning shots as well.

 

[Tshering22]

Wonderful article.

Iran was well within her rights to detain foreign boats entering unauthorized into their waters.

You should watch FOX NEWS at that time with all their neocon Republican lunatics raving about how they will go apeshit all over Iran and Iran will shut down and what not.