Not disabling a tanker leaves two choices: allow them to proceed to the Iranian port through a “blockade” which is a defeat, or boarding the vessel and seizing it.
We exist in such a risk-averse state now that a potentially risky boarding at sea could result in loss of life on the ship and in the boarding force, not to mention possibility the entire vessel. And there are no doubt Iranian hard liners who would find a way to put teams of hard-liners on vessels intended to run the blockade.
Doing so could result in a firefight, ending in a conflagration that could sink the ship in a narrow and shallow choke point. They certainly wouldn’t care if the Iranians were all killed as long as they took some of our people and equipment with them. After all, these were the same people who used humans as mine detectors in the Iran-Iraq war. And even if the same people aren’t still calling the shots, the exact SAME types of people are calling the shots.
Disabling it and having it towed to internment seems to be the least risky course of action.
**a risky boarding at sea could result in loss of life on the ship and in the boarding force and there are no doubt Iranian hard-liners who would find a way to put teams of hard-liners on vessels intended to run the blockade.**
Most of the vessels’ crews-a dozen or so-are most likely foreigners. Can’t fortify them as they’re not really military in nature and they’d have to get on the boats first.
**Are these the empty tankers that were headed into Iran?**
Gotta be empty. The rudders are exposed and Iran wouldn’t be importing the stuff.
Gotta wonder if the motivation of these ship captains is wanting to be shot at. Then there’s those machine guns mounted on the little speed boats. You know those people must have a death wish. Who’d volunteer for that?
It does seem like these are bait ships sent out by the Iranians to draw USN in closer. Last I read they were hundreds of miles away when not doing Freedom of Navigation ops.