America's First Clash with Iran: The Tanker War, 1987-88

This is a shockingly well written book about the first and last major US naval warfare post WW II in the waters of the Persian Gulf and with the Iranian regular and irregular naval forces. As someone who was bombarded with anti-USA propaganda back in Iran back in 1980s, this book was very illuminating and eye opening. I liked it. And it rightly shows the true nature of the Iranian regime: Unpredictable, savage, brutal and careless. Its irregular naval forces were sent to kill and maim sailors in the international waters. Its regular Navy was sent to fight the strongest navy in the world (at times reading those passages angered me very much). This regime in Iran is as predictable as one can get. And this book has been successful in documenting it extensively. Guess today's politicians in UK & USA should read this book to learn that you cant deal with a crazy regime that has had no respect for the laws of the seas and warfare. It's also sad to see how a reckless US navy commander shot down an airliner. A mistake that could be prevented and the book goes into so much details about that incident, it gets boring. But it is a good one. It's a necessary one and I applaud the author. The book gives us a window into possible war with Iran in the Persian gulf. Given the advances within the US navy warfare system, the old Iranian navy can not have much chance. It may employ its Russian & North Korean built submarines but on the surface it will not stand a chance. Also, the case of Asymmetrical war against the coalition forces (mainly UK & USA) is a possibility that this book discusses in details. However there are things I did not understand and they may not be as important: Like the author is discussing the probable attack of an Iranian F-4 Phantom II on a US warship and recites the RANK and the training location of the pilot. How did he know it? Was this a bit of journalistic, fictional feat to add to the excitement? How did he know the rank of the said pilot as to be a major? Maybe he was a Captain? So things of this nature while made the book an exciting read calls into question the sources of the author as well. But all in all, the book is worth the time and effort to read. I am happy I got to read it. A must read for every one! Good job! 5/5

Iran now can launch missiles 1,200 miles and arm them at will with nuclear warheads. European and Beltway policy makers prefer restraint and prolonged negotiations until a compromise is found. A similar policy of restraint imposed on the U. S. Navy's Middle East Force a mere 21 years ago, during our largest naval battle since World War II, did not go well. Now Lee Allen Zatarain gives a timely reprisal of that battle in "Tanker War: America's First Conflict with Iran - 1987-88." Tanker War documents a tragic example of restraint and its resulting consequences. Politic admirals imposed an attitude of restraint and a "don't make waves" rule of engagement on our ship captains, even those operating well within enemy Silkworm engageability envelopes and in sight of almost daily maritime attacks on unarmed merchant ships. Middle East Force insiders recall that our defense policy was initially conflicted from the flag level all the way down to the CIC, and Zatarain uses the Coontz and the Stark as cases in point, implying that if the Stark command decisions had followed those of the Coontz no lives would have been lost. The USS Stark lost 37 brave men who died as a result of an unprovoked attack as she exercised "restraint" toward an Iraqi fighter pilot who misjudged the U.S. warship for an Iranian target. Had Stark been as proactive and aggressive as USS Coontz in warning and fending off the attack, instead of being preoccupied with peacetime engineering drills and training, lives might have been saved. Providentially, in early 1988, the policy conflict resolved as Rear Admiral Tony Less arrived on the scene as the new Middle East Force Commander. Admiral Less remained true to his reputation within the ranks as an operational warfighter and allowed his ship captains, warfighters all, an aggressive defense of their ships. They followed tried and true battle tactics in pursuit of the enemy and Operation Praying Mantis was a mission accomplished. Attorneys such as the author (and this reviewer) value primary source documents and first-hand eyewitness accounts as inherently credible evidence showing the truth and crux of the matter. Mr. Zatarain's incisive analysis and colorful attention to detail enhance his exposition of classified secret documents and in depth interviews. The ship captains he interviewed on and off the record were in charge of the actual fighting and they tell it exactly like it was. They were more than equal to their mission - shield defenseless foreign tanker ships from being sunk - even in the line of fire in the notoriously dangerous waters of the Persian Gulf, a cauldron of warring factions who respected only strength and despised weakness in all forms. Our ship captains drove their frigates and destroyers on course to intervene between the merchant ships and enemy Silkworm missiles within range, yet were required to project an attitude of restraint - not strength - by avoiding all acts of provocation. Fortunately Admiral

TANKER WAR is unquestionably the definitive book about the events in the Persian Gulf in 1987-88. It is also just a darn good story, told well. As a first hand participant in these events I heartily applaud Mr. Zatarain's extraordinary accomplishment in the telling of the story of the Tanker War. TANKER WAR does an exceptional job laying out the geopolitical currents of the era and the background behind the seminal events. Against this tapestry, Mr. Zatarain tells the story of the U.S. Navy's largest, most complex and deadliest Naval conflict since the end of WWII. This is the only time that some of the U.S. Navy's modern weapons systems have ever been used in combat. While subsequent history is replete with U.S. Navy involvement in land campaigns, at no other time in the modern era of radar guided missiles, modern data systems, electronic warfare, and jet aircraft and helicopters, has there been a head to head engagement of a modern armed force with the U.S. Navy carried out in an exclusively naval environment. However, even in the era of satellite communications and ubiquitous combat data links, the fog of war remained ever present. Whenever the fog of war intervenes there is subsequent controversy, and this is no exception. Mr. Zatarain gives a balanced presentation of these controversies and draws well reasoned conclusions about them. The apex of the story is a detailed accounting of the events of April 18th 1988. On this day, the U.S. Navy fought a nine-hour long, wide open (what the Navy calls "red and free"), free-for-all engagement with the Iranian Navy, all over the Persian Gulf, in which a quarter of the Iranian Navy was sunk or disabled. One might well think that the result was a forgone conclusion given the size and abilities of the U.S. Navy, but what was little known until now is that the U.S. Navy faced catastrophe that day on at least four occasions and came out on the winning side each time. As in all military engagements, while the better trained and equipped forces often win, luck played a huge part. Victory was complete in the end but it was never certain. Disaster stalked the U.S. Navy all day that day and it makes for a gripping tale. When future historians study this era, Mr. Zatarain's book will be the quintessential reference. There are good lessons here for current Naval leaders who were not participants or started their careers after these events. But for those who just enjoy reading history, or just like a good real-world story, TANKER WAR is a great read.

This is the definitive book on the 1987-1988 conflict in the Persian Gulf between forces of the United States of America and the so-called "Islamic Republic" of Iran. This conflict is often referred to as the "Tanker War" since it centered around attacks on oil tankers that were traversing the Gulf, and the efforts of US forces to prevent such attacks. The author, Lee Allen Zatarain, obviously gave this subject due diligence and performed a great deal of painstaking and thorough research, including numerous interviews with participants. The author does an outstanding job of covering the conflict at the diplomatic, senior command, and personal levels--and all points in between. Parts of the book are harrowing, such as the details of the Exocet missiles hitting the USS Stark and the ensuing damage control, and other parts are inspiring--including the USS Gary's heroic actions to defend itself and the mobile sea bases from inbound Silkworm missiles (and the author essentially proves that there were, indeed, inbound Silkworms on that day), as well as the determined efforts to save the USS Samuel B. Roberts after it struck an Iranian mine. The author is a very capable writer who not only allows the subject matter to flow quite naturally, but he also offers sharp and much-welcomed analysis of all of the significant events in this little-known conflict. I really enjoyed learning the details of the various command and diplomatic decisions that had to be made, how the US Army aviation elements were brought into the mix, how the various Special Ops units operated, the dynamics of modern shipboard operations, the capabilities of the various weapon systems and the details of the different engagements. The author came across as very thoughtful and refreshingly fair-minded. I actually enjoyed the final few chapters, which grind through a nitty-gritty, but still very interesting, analysis of the shooting down of Iranian Air Flight 655 by the USS Vincennes on July 3rd, 1988. Since I do not know enough to point out any flaws in the author's obviously well-informed analysis, I'll just say that it all certainly seemed well-argued, balanced and thoroughly detailed. Zatarain does not shy away from placing blame where he thinks it should be--either on the American or Iranian side. Hopefully all of his detailed analysis will offer some final closure to this very unfortunate civilian airliner incident. Although in hindsight, based largely on what I learned from this book, I think the Reagan administration might have handled the "PR" aspects of this incident a bit better, I also found it disgusting (although unsurprising) that the Iranians simply used the tragedy as a propaganda ploy in an attempt to tarnish the image of the (so-called) "Great Satan." Overall, the author's in-depth coverage and analysis of all the actions and key decisions that were covered in the book came off as very astute. As far as I can tell, the book discusses every significant eve

Now listen up me hearties - there is a dangerous sea out there. It seems to me there is a dearth of news these days about America's Navy taking on the impossible task to maintain freedom of the seas. This book takes you into the heart of a very active American Navy, placing itself "In Harms Way" to protect American lives and interests just the way John Paul Jones intended - with fast ships and sailors with steel spines. You'll pick up on the tempo quickly when you get into this book and renew (or begin) your appreciation of the high tech world of sea-borne warfare in the modern age. Be quick - or be dead. Besides the technology involved for good or evil, there is an accurate depiction of real sailors - real leaders - in the formula for Naval supremacy. You'll learn to appreciate these sailors and the fighting spirit they bring to the age of instant decisions and sudden death. You will also learn to appreciate a great deal more - The complex mix of explosive politics in this region where a hiccup can destabilize a whole way of life on any of five continents; The near impossibility of international alliances to counter common threats; The seemingly harmless mistakes in procedure that can lead to death when time is not on your side; How the Australian sheep market can raise the level of tension in waters under contention; How a "Filipino Monkey" can force a tipping point to global war; and why the C.O. of a US Navy missile frigate would "charge" head on - a silkworm missile. Global Politics and Sea Power in action. Good stuff! A GREAT read. A superb education, even for the well informed, in the world of foggy news reporting.