US Navy official says 'uneasy deterrence' reached with Iran

  top U.S. Navy official in Mideast said Sunday America has reached an “uneasy deterrence” with Iran after months of regional attacks and seizures at sea, even as tensions remain high between Washington and Tehran over Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.

Vice m. Sam Paparo, who oversees Navy’s 5th Fleet based in Bahrain, struck an acemic tone in comments to annual Manama Dialogue hosted by International Institute for Strategic Studies.

He described having a “healthy respect” for both Iran’s regular navy and naval forces of its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.

“We have achieved an uneasy deterrence. That uneasy deterrence is exacerbated by world events and by events along way,” vice miral said.

But I have found Iranian activity at sea to be cautious and circumspect and respectful, to t risk unnecessary miscalculation or escalation at sea.

Iran’s mission to United Nations did t immediately respond to a request for comment.

While Iran has t directly seized or targeted a tanker in recent months, a mine recently struck an oil tanker off Saudi Arabia and a cargo ship near Yemen came under assault.

Suspicion immediately fell on Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels for being behind both attacks. Houthis have t commented on eir attack.

Paparo, a former Navy fighter pilot who most recently served as director of operations at U.S. military's Central Command, offered a different stance than his immediate predecessor, Vice m. James Malloy.

In one of his last comments to journalists in August, Malloy referred to Iran as “reckless and provocative” and always trying in dramatic naval drills to “lower deminator until y’re sure that y can look like y’ve won something.”

Malloy’s tenure saw oil tankers seized by Iran and a series of limpet mine explosions targeting tankers that Navy blamed on Iran. Tehran denied being involved, though Revolutionary Guard members were filmed taking an unexploded mine away from one tanker.

By contrast, several months that Paparo’s been in charge have t seen any major crises.

U.S. Navy routinely has tense encounters with Revolutionary Guard, whose speed boats race alongside American warships in Persian Gulf and sometimes conduct live-fire drills with machine guns and missile launches in ir presence.

Guard typically patrols shallower waters of Persian Gulf and its narrow mouth, Strait of Hormuz. Iran's regular navy largely operates in Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea. While previous commanders have me a point to differentiate between professionalism of two, Paparo dismissed it as an “old idea” that included a lingering belief that service was still loyal to Iran's former shah, who was toppled in 1979 Islamic Revolution.

“Forty-one years into revolution, I think we can dispense with that tion,” vice-miral said.

I sincerely doubt re’s a difference among m, ded vice-miral. 

Paparo also said he did t believe 5th Fleet's mission would be affected by Navy potentially reconstituting a 1st Fleet responsible for Indian Ocean.

Still, Paparo's remarks carried a clear warning, quoting former U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis at one point.

“Be polite, be professional and have a plan to kill everyone in room,” he said.

(IM CREDITS: Twitter/@USNavy)