What Iran Will Do Next, and How to Stop It
The U.S. and its European allies must get ready to sweep mines, escort tankers, launch cyberattacks and, perhaps, sink Iranian ships.
Small but deadly.
Photographer: Atta Kenare/AFP/Getty Images
Predictably, Iran is reacting badly to the announcement that Europe is planning to send a multinational naval force to protect merchant shipping passing through the Strait of Hormuz. "We heard that they intend to send a European fleet to the Persian Gulf which naturally carries a hostile message, is provocative and will increase tensions," said an Iranian government spokesman this week.
In combination, the Europeans’ welcome decision to increase the warship count and the Iranian response – only verbal thus far, thankfully – are likely to increase the chances of a military miscalculation that provokes a shooting war.