Iran planning to blockade US

[Her3tiK]

Or something. I don't have any idea what they think they'll accomplish with this:
www.cnn.com/2011/09/27/world/meast/iran-navy/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Iran plans to send ships near the Atlantic coast of the United States, state-run Islamic Republic News Agency reported Tuesday, quoting a commander.
"The Navy of the Iranian Army will have a powerful presence near the United States borders," read the headline of the story, in Farsi.

This has something to do with the fact that we've got a presence in the Persian Gulf, though what exactly two ships is supposed to accomplish, I'm not sure. Should be quite fun to watch how this unfolds.

Side note: If you look at the sailors in the article's picture, you can see what appears to be one sailor grabbing another's ass.

[Dragon Zachski]

tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BullyingADragon

[RavynousHunter]

Sooooooo...Iran really thinks it has the manpower to survive war with America? Are they insane or just stupid?

[Thejebusfire]

Do they not have maps in Iran?

[ironbite]

Uh....they do realize we have all this military hardware and are just itching to use it...right?

Ironbite-righ?

[HarleyThomas1002]

The Iranians have some hardware of their own. Courtesy of the US government back in the eighties.

If they're anything like Israel who take the stuff they're given and make it better, it shouldn't be too one-sided.

[Tiberius]

Sept 27, 2011 22:35:53 GMT -5 ironbite said:

Uh....they do realize we have all this military hardware and are just itching to use it...right?

Ironbite-righ?

The end is righ!

[Art Vandelay]

Erm, this isn't a blockade. Those ships aren't going to be trying to stop ships from docking at or leaving American ports, just sitting there looking "powerful" or whatever it is they hope to achieve.

That said, if I had my way, America would park a couple of nuclear aircraft carriers with a full compliment of screens right next to Iran's Atlantic "fleet" and another off their coast. Show then what a real "powerful presence" looks like.

[Her3tiK]

Sept 27, 2011 22:52:00 GMT -5 Art Vandelay said:

Erm, this isn't a blockade. Those ships aren't going to be trying to stop ships from docking at or leaving American ports, just sitting there looking "powerful" or whatever it is they hope to achieve.

That said, if I had my way, America would part a couple of nuclear aircraft carriers with a full compliment of screens right next to Iran's Atlantic "fleet" and another off their coast. Show then what a real "powerful presence" looks like.

I couldn't think of a better way to phrase it, though part of me kinda wants them to try the whole blockade thing. It'd be absolutely hilarious. To me #NoMoralCenter

Also, we don't actually have that many carriers. Granted, doing that would also be hilarious. Or rubber dinghies. A few of those with RPGs would probably do the trick.

[jackmann]

Nothing's really going to happen. The Iranians will stay out in international waters, maybe edge near US territory, and the Navy may send a ship or two their way. Just to say hi. The Iranians aren't stupid enough to actually try getting into a war with the US, especially not one where they're clearly the aggressors. They're just trying to flex their muscles a bit.

[tolpuddlemartyr]

It's like a psychotic Chihuahua barking madly at a dire wolf!

[Art Vandelay]

Sept 27, 2011 23:06:42 GMT -5 Her3tiK said:

Also, we don't actually have that many carriers. Granted, doing that would also be hilarious. Or rubber dinghies. A few of those with RPGs would probably do the trick.

Well actually the US has 11 carriers (1 Enterprise class and 10 Nimitz class) currently operating. Since my suggestion only requires four (though bumping it up to eight would be especially awesome, now that I think about it) it's more than doable.

[stormwarden]

One thing does bug me: Who do they plan to bring with them to the party? If they plan to go solo, they're asking for it. So I wonder if they won't have some kind of backup from other countries.

[gyeonghwa]

Sept 27, 2011 22:24:30 GMT -5 RavynousHunter said:

Sooooooo...Iran really thinks it has the manpower to survive war with America? Are they insane or just stupid?

Deluded, so both stupid and insane.

[Yaezakura]

Well, this should be hilarious. You'd kind of think they'd be smart enough to realize that a single sub could destroy both of those ships without them even knowing it's there. It wouldn't even be as engaging as target practice.

I especially like this part...

U.S. Defense Department officials had no immediate reaction to Tuesday's announcement.

I know exactly what their response was. They fell over laughing so hard they shit themselves.