A strategy that has worked against Iran

The U.S. recognizes that Iran finances the militant groups responsible for the attacks on our troops in the Mideast, which culminated in the deaths of three service members in a drone attack on Sunday, Jan. 28. So far, the U.S. response has been a handful of surgical strikes against these Iranian proxies. Instead of playing whack-a-mole with these groups, the administration should refer to Operation Praying Mantis launched against Iran in April of 1988.

On April 14, 1988, the USS Samuel B. Roberts struck an Iranian mine in the international waters of the Persian Gulf while it was protecting commercial shipping from Iranian attacks. The ship was severely damaged. Ten sailors were seriously injured, four of whom were severely burned. On April 18, Ronald Reagan approved the launch of Operation Praying Mantis to retaliate against the Iranians for the wounding of our sailors and the damage to their ship. One Iranian frigate was sunk, a second was destroyed, four smaller attack-boats were sunk and two oil platforms (which also served as surveillance outposts) were destroyed. In the months following this operation, Iran and the gulf were quiet. There was no escalation of hostilities.

The ayatollahs place little value on human life (except their own). To them, these proxy militant groups are expendable and replaceable. However, they value money. And the source of their money is oil exports (91% to China in 2023), despite U.S. sanctions.

Iran has multiple pipelines, 14 refineries, and seven oil transport depots on the gulf. The U.S. should provide a list of these assets to the ayatollahs and inform them that with each proxy attack against our troops, we will destroy one or more of these installations from the air. How many U.S. retaliatory strikes will be necessary until Iran forces their proxies to stand down?

Randy Harris

Campton Hills