By Abdulrahman Al-Rashed

Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz was a predictable possibility, present in every potential war scenario. There was a precedent for its closure in the 1980s, when Iran planted mines, targeted ships and threatened maritime traffic. Known as the “Tanker War,” Iran used missiles and speedboats. This war is historically significant because Iran caused and brought about foreign naval intervention, establishing a permanent American military presence in the Gulf. Before Iran’s attacks on maritime transport, the Americans did not have bases or warships in the Gulf.

The first battle came at the height of the Iran-Iraq war. At the time, Iraq was also attacking Iranian oil tankers. Tehran not only attacked Iraqi naval forces but also the naval vessels of Gulf countries, just as it attacks its Gulf neighbors today.

When the US navy’s Fifth Fleet entered the region, an American warship was hit by an Iranian naval mine. That incident changed the rules of engagement, as the US became an active party in the crisis, and naval battles ensued for the first time since the Second World War. Iran targeted Kuwait’s oil tankers and struck Gulf maritime installations, so Kuwait requested support and American flags were raised on the tankers, which were escorted by American naval vessels. With the internationalization of the war, Iran’s naval military capabilities and oil platforms were destroyed.

That was an important round of fighting that later concluded........

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