The Naval Blockade of Iran

In October 1962, American reconnaissance flights discovered Russian built nuclear missiles on Communist Cuba, which could reach targets deep in the mainland. Ignoring the advice of his military advisors who called for air strikes and an amphibious invasion, President John Kennedy ordered the Navy to establish a “quarantine” or blockade around the island, in an attempt to force the Soviets’ hand. Shamed in the UN, and fearful of a nuclear war, the Russians finally relented and agreed to remove the weapons.

A similar crisis is brewing over Iranian attempts to build nuclear weapons, and a similar response could be the answer. Naval forces could be used to stop the flow of oil from leaving Iranian ports. Current US strategy for dealing with rogue states is either bombing or invasion. Considering our large troop commitment in Iraq, the latter is probably out of the question.

The problem with air strikes against Iranian nuclear targets is they are expecting such action. With atomic labs scattered around the nation and protected by deep and hardened bunkers, a bombing campaign may only be partially effective at best.

Air strikes, though often militarily effective can also be politically sensitive. Mistakes, called friendly fire is common, as happened to the Chinese embassy during the Kosovo War and the bombing of Canadian troops by US F-16s in Afghanistan. There’s also the worldwide liberal press to consider, which eagerly seizes on any claim of civilians deaths from bombing, whether real or not to discredit America.

A naval quarantine would be more desirable, in that military force would be utilized without necessarily any attacks. Though the Iranian ayatollahs could care less of any economic effect upon their own people, cutting off the oil flow would influence those who depend on the Iranians, namely Russia, China, and Europe. It would further prove to these nations who are straddling the fence on imposing economic sanctions that America is serious about denying nuclear weapons to terrorists and their supporters.