Eagle, I don't want to form an alliance anymore.

The captain gave the order to fire when the group of speedboats entered within six kilometers.

The AK130 130mm twin-mounted naval gun burst into a blinding flash in the night, its rate of fire of forty rounds per minute leaving an orange-red trajectory across the dark surface of the Persian Gulf.

Within three minutes, the artillery fire hit three of the five speedboats. Two of them disintegrated on the spot, and the people on board met Allah in peace. The third boat was hit in the engine room by an armor-piercing shell, caught fire, and sank a few minutes later.

The remaining two speedboats turned around and fled at full speed after seeing their companions go to heaven to enjoy 72 raisins ahead of time. The entire battle lasted less than five minutes.

This marked the first time since 1945 that the Soviet Navy had fired upon and sunk an enemy ship in actual naval combat.

TASS issued only a brief report on this the following day:

"Soviet naval vessels repelled an attack by unidentified armed speedboats while ensuring the safety of merchant ships."

The fewer the words, the bigger the matter; now every country in the Gulf understands the Soviet Union's attitude.

On November 14, the Tehran Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement expressing regret over the unexplained conflict in the Persian Gulf.

On the same day, the KGB intercepted internal communications of the Revolutionary Guard: "Avoid convoys and warships flying the Soviet flag."

The first crack appeared in the blockade; a blockade that was only effective in some countries was no longer a true blockade.

Ships belonging to the Soviet Union could pass through, but those from other countries could not. Now the blockade is being directed at the United States and other Western countries.

Now that the Soviet Union has taken action, America's many allies are watching their big brother's fate with bated breath.

---

From November 19 to 21, the United States and the Soviet Union held a summit.

This was Reagan and Gorbachev's first face-to-face meeting, and the world's attention was focused on nuclear arms control, but the real results were achieved by the fireside at Lake Geneva.

The following evening, the two leaders held a private meeting in front of the fireplace at a villa on the shores of Lake Geneva.

According to publicly available records, the theme of this private meeting was building personal trust, but the core topic of the actual discussion was the Persian Gulf.

Gorbachev said:

"Ronald, neither you nor I want the Strait issue to get out of control. Iran's blockade of the Strait is a threat to everyone—a threat to your oil imports, and a threat to the safety of our shipping."

My suggestion is simple: you can open the Straits Inn, and we can each keep our own bills.

Reagan smiled; he was pleased that Gorbachev had actually allowed the American fleet to "free trade" without exhaling.

"Mikhail, are you saying you won't help but also won't cause trouble?"

"We are not adversaries, after all, our interests align. Your navy is responsible for mine clearance and suppressing shore-to-ship missile sites, and we guarantee not to interfere with your operations, nor will we allow Iran to use Soviet weapons to attack your warships."

In exchange, we jointly pushed for the Security Council to adopt a ceasefire resolution that would impose a mandatory arms embargo on the party that refuses to cease fire.

You and I both know that Iraq will accept it while Iran will refuse.

The United States bore the military risks and political costs, while the Soviet Union was able to restore oil prices somewhat and gain an Iran that was bound by an arms embargo after the war.

Reagan also saw that the Soviet Union was gaining an advantage, but they had no choice.

The United States cannot allow the Strait to remain unilaterally closed to the US, as the US economy and the economies of its allies are far more dependent on Gulf oil than the Soviet Union!

So regardless of whether the Soviet Union cooperated or not, the United States had to open the Strait.

While the Soviet promise may sound cheap, it was extremely crucial in practice: if the Soviet Union provided intelligence to Iran while the US was opening the Strait of Hormuz or vetoed sanctions resolutions in the UN Security Council, the US operation would face exponentially greater difficulties and political costs.

The deal is done.

On November 24, the Security Council adopted Resolution 598, demanding that the warring parties immediately cease fire and withdraw to international borders, and authorizing a mandatory arms embargo against the party that refuses to cease fire.

Iraq, at Moscow's behest, was the first to announce conditional acceptance—on the condition that Iran must also accept.

Iran has refused to accept a ceasefire.

The noose of the embargo was around Tehran's neck the moment the resolution was passed. North Korea, Libya, and Iran were the only remaining sources of arms for Iran under the embargo. The first two countries were dependent on the Soviet Union, and the latter's relations with the Soviet Union had also warmed up.

Moscow only needs a phone call to get Pyongyang and Tripoli to "cooperate in implementing the Security Council resolution."

On November 27, the leader called Slava after the Security Council vote.

"The Security Council passed it; Iraq accepted Iran's rejection, and the embargo has been initiated." "What about the US side?"

"The United States has informed us that the carrier strike group is assembling and will begin mine clearance and escort operations within ten days."

What about us?

"Let's sit and watch; this is the most comfortable spot in the whole show."

Chapter 57 Open the door! Freedom of navigation!

On December 1, the U.S. Navy arrived in Oman.

The fleet departed from its assembly point in the Gulf of Oman, with minesweepers leading the way, missile cruisers providing support, and carrier-based aircraft offering air cover. Once assembled, the escort convoy immediately advanced toward the Strait of Hormuz.

The first convoy consisted of twelve merchant ships and six warships, with an RH53 minesweeping helicopter carrier leading the way. The helicopters hovered over the channel, scanning the water surface section by section with sonar and magnetic detectors.

"Bang!" "Bang bang!"

At its narrowest point, the 33-kilometer stretch of water was dotted with countless mines, and the sound of mine explosions was deafening. It took the fleet a full six hours to pass through the strait.

For those six hours, the radar at the Silkworm missile site continuously shone on the oil tankers in the formation.

Meanwhile, the US Navy's Aegis cruiser USS Bunker Hill maintained a state of countermeasure against Iranian missile sites throughout the operation. Standard Missile IIs were in a state of readiness to be fired in the vertical launch system, and the electronic warfare system was at maximum power, ready to jam the Silkworm missiles the moment they were launched.

Meanwhile, four F-14s patrolled over the convoy, armed with AIM-54 Phoenix long-range air-to-air missiles. If Iranian F-4s were to scramble and approach, the F-1s could shoot them down from 4 kilometers away!

Iran has not yet launched its anti-ship missiles; the Iranians are hesitant.

After all, the other side is the US Navy.

The first convoy safely arrived in the Persian Gulf on December 1, with none of the twelve merchant ships damaged.

People in Riyadh and Kuwait breathed a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the Revolutionary Guard headquarters in Tehran became much more somber—their blockade had been breached by the first fleet, but they had not yet opened fire.

The so-called blockade without firing is losing credibility.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Late on December 2, the Revolutionary Guard's patience ran out.

A Silkworm missile was launched from a concealed position on the southeast corner of Qeshm Island.

The position was disguised in a low bunker behind a palm grove. Before launch, the guidance radar was not activated. Instead, the aircraft flew over the target area along a preset route and then activated the terminal active radar seeker.

This launch method reduces accuracy but significantly shortens the U.S. military's warning time. There is usually a 90-second window between radar illumination and missile impact, while cold launch compresses this window to less than 30 seconds.

"Om-"

The missile skimmed across the strait at a height of 15 meters above the sea surface and a speed of Mach 0.9, appearing as a bright spot approaching at an astonishing speed on the radar screen!

The radar operator on the USS Bunker Hill detected the missile when it was 12 kilometers from the formation; the 30-second window meant only one firing opportunity. Within a second, the anti-aircraft missile was ejected from its vertical launch pad, ignited, and hurtled towards the incoming Silkworm at Mach 3—

"boom!"

The interception failed; this anti-ship missile from Old Zhong is exceptionally capable. Fragments from the anti-aircraft missile struck the tail of the Silkworm, but failed to destroy the warhead; it continues to fly!

"boom!"

The missile struck a large oil tanker flanking the USS Bunker Hill. The 500-kilogram warhead blasted a ten-meter-wide hole in the waterline, and the tanker sank in less than five minutes, with the leaking crude oil igniting into a raging fire.

More than 100 crew members fell into the water, but due to the fire and crude oil on the sea, only 13 were successfully rescued by the U.S. Navy.

The deaths of more than ninety civilians shocked the entire international community, and Washington made a decision that night:

"Retaliation! Execute immediately!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

June 3, dawn.

After clearing the waterway mines, the U.S. carrier strike group began operations outside the Gulf of Oman.

At 4:20 a.m., two A6E Intruder attack aircraft took off from the USS Enterprise and, under the interference of electronic warfare aircraft, made a low-altitude incursion into the southeast corner of Qeshm Island—from which the Silkworm missile was launched on December 2.

"Boom! Boom boom!"

Four Harpoon anti-ship missiles were modified for land attack and rammed into the silkworm-like bunkers and launch pads with sea-skimming trajectories, followed by eight Mk83 1,000-pound aerial bombs.

The position was wiped off the map in forty seconds, with concrete fragments from the bunker and twisted metal from the launch pad scattered around a crater the size of a football field.

Half an hour later, another A6E carried out the same attack on the second silkworm position located on the north shore of the strait, but the US military did not stop.

At nine o'clock in the morning, the sun had fully illuminated the surface of the Persian Gulf. Two US destroyers and a cruiser approached two abandoned oil drilling platforms near Farsi Island in a combat formation.

During the blockade, the two platforms were converted into forward operating bases by the Revolutionary Guard. They were equipped with anti-aircraft machine guns, portable anti-aircraft missiles, and radar, and fast boat squadrons used them as mother ships to launch nighttime attacks on passing merchant ships.

"boom!"

After a symbolic warning, the U.S. military used naval guns and missiles to turn the two platforms into burning scrap metal. The Revolutionary Guard personnel on the platforms were warned by the U.S. military to evacuate via radio before the airstrike began. Most of them escaped by speedboat, but not everyone made it in time.

Following the morning's attacks, Iran claimed to have "repelled the aggression of US imperialism," and Tehran radio broadcast battle songs and Khomeini's rallying speech.

Anyone who didn't know better would think the US Navy had suffered a major defeat.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

On December 6, NATO's allies in Europe sent a joint minesweeping fleet.

Minesweepers from Belgium, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom departed from their respective home ports and traveled through the Mediterranean Sea, the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden for three weeks before arriving at the Persian Gulf.

The United States' own mine-clearing capabilities are severely inadequate, a predicament that Washington is most unwilling to admit.

The addition of the minesweeping fleet greatly improved the efficiency of the strait's clearing efforts, and in the following week they cleared more than thirty mines from the main channel.

The frequency of the fleet's passage through the strait began to increase, from once a week initially to three times a week.

Every safe passage of a fleet is a provocation against the blockade, and Iran's war control zone is becoming a piece of paper riddled with holes.

On the night of December 10, the Revolutionary Guard took a desperate gamble and laid mines a second time in the already cleared waterway.

Two converted civilian ferries quietly entered the main channel late at night and redeployed about twenty mines in the area that the minesweeper had cleared during the day.

This is a desperate tactic, much like the German Navy did back then, and its effectiveness only lasts until the next minesweeping operation—usually the following morning.

But what if a ship happens to pass through during that short window...

At 2:40 a.m. on December 11, the U.S. Navy frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts struck a mine in the channel.

The mine detonated below the keel on the starboard side of the frigate. The shockwave from the explosion lifted the entire ship about a meter before it crashed back into the water!

The keel of the frigate broke off, and the hull began to sink from the middle. Fortunately, the US Navy's damage control was effective, and the damage control team took eight hours to stabilize the flooding.

No one died, but six were seriously injured. The sailors moved every spare steel plate and even a kitchen cutting board to the leak to plug it.

The USS Samuel B. Roberts was eventually towed to Bahrain at a snail's pace of three knots by tugboats—and it was never put back into service.

At noon on the 11th, the salvage team found several unexploded mines on the seabed at the explosion site—their serial numbers and markings matched perfectly with those of Iranian mines seized by the US military during previous mine-clearing operations.

This is no longer something that can be covered up by excuses like "drifting mines." Direct evidence now confirms that Iran deliberately laid mines a second time in the "cleared" shipping lanes.

Washington has finally gotten everything it needed, and the doves in Congress can no longer stop them.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

On December 16, the U.S. Navy fleet was deployed to the Persian Gulf.

The first wave of attacks targeted the Revolutionary Guard's last two forward operating bases for oil platforms near Farsi Island. Two U.S. destroyers approached the platforms to within range of their guns and then stopped. Before firing, they issued evacuation warnings to the Iranian personnel on the platforms via radio, in accordance with international law and rules of engagement.

"This is the U.S. Navy. You have twenty minutes to evacuate the platform. We will open fire in twenty minutes."

The warning was repeated three times. After the third warning, people began using rope ladders to climb onto the speedboats moored nearby and evacuate.

But not everyone left; a few members of the Revolutionary Guard remained on the platform to operate the anti-aircraft machine guns.

I don't know where these Islamic lunatics get their courage.

"boom!"

Twenty minutes later, within five minutes the two platforms were reduced to burning scrap metal skeletons, with thick black smoke billowing into the sky.

Now, all of Iran's oil platforms in the Persian Gulf have been destroyed by the US military.

At 9:00 a.m., the Iranian Navy's missile boat, the Joshan, departed from Bandar Abbas, attempting to launch a counterattack against the US fleet.

This 147-ton French-made fast attack craft is equipped with four Harpoon missiles and is the most lethal light surface vessel in the Iranian Navy's arsenal.

It launched a Harpoon missile when it was about 20 kilometers away from the US fleet, and the missile was shot down by the close-in weapon system of the USS Bunker Hill when it was 2 kilometers away from the ship.

The US fleet immediately retaliated, with two Standard missiles and one Harpoon missile hitting the USS Joshan almost simultaneously. The 147-ton speedboat was torn apart from the water in three consecutive explosions—the first missile destroyed the superstructure, the second detonated the ammunition magazine, and the third struck the already sinking wreckage.

Within three minutes, the Choushang was transformed from a complete warship into a pile of metal debris and burning oil floating on the sea.