The Iranians clearly showed their disregard for international law last week when they flew a drone directly over the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier strike group operating in the Persian Gulf, and none of their multiple warnings or hails were acknowledged. Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of Naval Forces Central Command, noted in a statement that the UAV flew directly against the safety precautions outlined in a daily Notice to Airmen (NOTAM).
The notice directs both manned and unmanned aircraft to stay more than 10 nautical miles from the carrier to ensure flight safety, yet this did not stop the Iranians from attempting to threaten the American fleet.
Although the Iranians were unaware of the fact that their drone was being closely tracked by a US Navy helicopter outfitted with an M240 machine gun capable of firing 7.62 mm rounds, the crew did not load the weapon.
Aircraft from Dwight D Eisenhower Carrier Air Wing intercepts an Iranian UAV operating in an unsafe and unprofessional manner during aircraft carrier flight operations in the Arabian Gulf. The U.S. Navy will continue to fly and sail where international law allows. pic.twitter.com/66ojHTkrMS
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) December 2, 2023
However, this is an example of the fact that the US is carefully monitoring the situation, and there is no doubt that the US Navy is taking this threat from Iran very seriously.
“If our ships see something is coming near them or toward them, they are going to assess it as a threat and shoot it down,” a Defense Department official asserted. “You’d be hard-pressed to find another time” U.S. ships have been this challenged in the region, the official added.
The gravity of this situation underscores the necessity for strong deterrence of Iran. Former Presidents Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump successfully employed the strategy of “Peace through strength” to deal with the challenges posed by Iran in the past, and it is time for the Biden administration to take a firm stance against the Iranians in order to ensure the safety of US ships in the region.
It is sobering to think of how close Iran is getting to threatening US ships in the Gulf, and one can hope that the Biden administration does not allow Iran to get away with such provocative actions. It is essential that the US enact strong measures to protect its people, ships, and national security, and demonstrate to the Iranians that the US will not tolerate any threat to their safety.
The US must stand firmly dedicated to protecting its interests in the region and demonstrate that it is a reliable and sturdy ally in the fight for freedom.
Well, Iran did intrude and the Navy didn’t even shoot down the drone. This would have been a great target practice exercise.
Watch it Iran your Doom is coming
Why the hell didn’t they shoot it down? If our Navy shows no balls, Iran will presume they have none. Don’t wait until a Nuke is fired to show strength.