UPDATED: How will we handle the upcoming Iran Navy incursion on US Territorial waters?

Sandy, I like this answer! It gives what action we should do and assigns the responsibility for action on the USCG.

The touchy part of this whole thing is (a) will the Iranians deliberately or inadvertently violate the 200NM line; and (b) if they do, will they resist the instructions and boarding of the USCG teams? These are rhetorical questions of course, but nothing good is going to come of this seaborne Iranian venture.

Even though this comment by 1LT Sandy sounds rational and the best way to approach this. Let's not forget that before 911, threats to attack the USA were known similar to this.

That was not know by many and those who heard it kind of brushed it off. Until 911 became a reality. This ship is not coming here close by our waters because they are training, and according too the story, this was made know way before this ship sailed. It was know that Iran had this planed for some time. Same as before 911. But fact is the intentions are not fully know, until they arrive CNN finds out and makes it new media so the Iranians can hear it first hand.  

Sir; as an Airborne Ranger I like your answer! As a military diplomat, my first recommendation to the SecDef or President would be to seize the ships, if possible.

Entering US waters in and of itself is a hostile act. However, their "fleet" is still incredibly small as a military threat, and the US doesn't want to look like a bully on the world stage. If, during the course of seizing the Iranian ships, they resisted or fired shots, then the USCG and (if needed) the USN go into combat mode.

One last thing: We have to keep in mind that the mission of their "fleet" may be to provoke a military action so that the Iranian regime has justification for some kind of terrorism in the Gulf or elsewhere.

CPT Miller: There is great merit in your post. I wonder if our current civilian leadership has the disposition for that kind of decision?

Oh, let me add one thing, as a question moderator I sometimes have to play both sides of a point. Would we be seen as a bully? Heck, a lot of the world already thinks we are bullies. To them I say -  Too bad. We are America and I can't hear your whining over my freedom and awesomeness. As a 48 I have to give a more "measured" and professional opinion.

MSG; you have just cleverly summed up the international laws of the sea and the diplomatic tactic of reciprocity.

Let's go back to October of 1962. The US puts missiles in Turkey (I'm not touching you!). The USSR reciprocates by putting missiles in Cuba (I'm not touching you!). The US Navy blockades Cuba (I'm not touching you and nobody else is, either). Now that was a nuclear war threat. The question is: what is the threat? What will happen when we kill them until they die from it?

I like your post!

MSG; you have a gift for prose!

I believe that they actually sent a couple of warships through the Suez to Syria in 2012. That may be their largest naval venture since Sinbad.

LTC Metz: Sir, you bring up an interesting aspect with the press. I've seen a number of articles on the internet (MSN and Yahoo)and on FNN, but don't know how it is playing beyond that.

Al Jazeera has a US cable news outlet and is available in our area. It's worth a look to see if they are covering this and how.

CPT, you may be correct. The Iranian Navy isn't exactly a blue water fleet. However, we should be careful about underestimating them or any other threat: The USS Cole comes to mind.  Also, they don't have to menace our warships if they get here. Operating out of Cuba or Venezuela they can menace commercial boating, oil platforms, or friendly nations.

And yes, their ships and midgets submarines are copies of North Korean products, made in Iran! If one of those fine vessels goes down in the Gulf of Mexico because somebody forgot to replace a stopper or something, the USCG will probably rescue the crew. Then the USA will get blamed for sinking the ship. 

PO2 Hornsby: Agreed. They won't try, but they will challenge. We do it, The Chinese do it, everybody does it. The question is, how will we handle them when they push it, and who will handle it? I don't see the Iranians as great open water sailors, so if they do cross into US territorial waters it will most likely be because of their poor navigation. However, you can bet they will approach, see what happens, back off, assess, and repeat.

Now PO2 Hornsby, consider this: An Iranian warship is sitting 220 NM off the coast of Florida, and a Florida-registered civilian boat leaves Miami, goes out to the Iranian ship, pulls alongside for 8 hours, then starts back to Miami....

SGT Blackburn,

The Iranians largest ship is an Alvand class frigate (they have three).  Although it was not designed to carry any aircraft, it is large enough to be fitted with a single armed transport helicopter (probably the Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion) or two smaller recon helicopters.  They are building a larger Sahand class frigate that will carry this compliment of rotary wing aircraft as a standard feature.

For perspective, the Sahand is approximately 325 feet in length and has a total displacement of 2,000 tons.  The SMALLEST ship in one of our carrier groups is the Burke class destroyer at 510 feet and around 8,500 tons displacement.

The Iranians also have six diesel subs that I seriously doubt they would risk in this dog and pony show since their actions are, by default, hidden from the media.

As stated by MAJ Parker, this is a political stunt.  I think the worst case scenario for the U.S. would be one of these ships sinking at the edge of U.S. territorial waters as a result of an accident or incompetence.  You know they would immediately claim that we were responsible.

Hell, former Iranian President Ahmadinejad once claimed that we had caused a deadly earthquake in Iran with a secret new weapon we had developed. LMAO

Of course, this makes more sense than the cleric who claimed the earthquakes were being caused by Iranian women dressing promiscuously.  :) 

Good NOB assessment, CPT. As the Iranians, row, row, row their boats across the Atlantic; the challenge for our forces is going to be how we handle whatever happens without letting it blow up into something stupid. In fact, without letting it blow up into anything at all...unless there is another US political goal in mind that none of us is aware of.

Was unaware that promiscuously dressed Iranian women were causing earthquakes. Goodness! We could bring that whole country down with one aircraft load of California Girls (cue Beach Boys music). 

SGT Huff: Thank you! Excellent answer. I like the documentation.  Recommend you see 1LT Annala's post.

However, as I read this article, a warship does NOT have freedom of passage, and must comply with the directives of the Coastal State. It appears no different than airspace and getting overfly permission.

SSG Scott S.: I have noticed this same, laid back attitude in many of your other posts on RP. Just exactly what ARE your duties there at MacDill?

In any event, If you are at the beach sipping your Mai Tais and some Iran Navy wreckage floats onto the beach, please do the following:

1. Police up the wreckage. A clean beach is a happy beach and this is your duty anyway. If you don't feel like doing it, then get some lower ranking enlisted together for a police call, in the time-honored tradition of the military.

2. Sell the wreckage on e-bay with letters of authentication.