I covered U.S.-Iranian tensions in a recent blog post. It is obvious that the U.S. has the strategic upper hand and is taking pains to ensure Iran's leadership understands the situation. Stated concerns over a "rogue Iranian naval officer" doing something unpredictable are probably a red herring to cover the U.S. naval posture.
The U.S. is also taking pains to shape the information battlespace. Stories about using dolphins to hunt underwater mines show off a capability Iran lacks. Feel-good stories about saving Iranian seaman hijacked by pirates send a strong message that the Iranian navy can't even safeguard its own commercial traffic. Analysts enamored with Iran's potential use of Sunburn or other anti-ship missiles ignore the U.S. Navy's Rolling Airframe Missile. The SeaRAM system is notable for its absence from recent media coverage. The silence speaks volumes. Iran should hear the message.
The U.S. is also taking pains to shape the information battlespace. Stories about using dolphins to hunt underwater mines show off a capability Iran lacks. Feel-good stories about saving Iranian seaman hijacked by pirates send a strong message that the Iranian navy can't even safeguard its own commercial traffic. Analysts enamored with Iran's potential use of Sunburn or other anti-ship missiles ignore the U.S. Navy's Rolling Airframe Missile. The SeaRAM system is notable for its absence from recent media coverage. The silence speaks volumes. Iran should hear the message.
