Episode Notes:

On Monday, a U.S. Navy patrol ship fired warning shots at three Iranian vessels that came within 68 yards of it while operating in the Persian Gulf. The confrontation ended without further incident. But it follows on the heels of a similar behavior from Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Ships over the past month, and amidst diplomatic maneuvering over the future of the Iran deal.

Here to discuss this with us is Doyle Hodges. Doyle is the executive editor of Texas National Security Review and a senior editor at War on the Rocks. A retired Naval officer, he commanded a salvage ship and a destroyer. He received his PhD from Princeton University, and has also taught at the Naval Academy, the Naval War College, George Mason.

[ 01:04 ] Overview

[ 05:03 ] How unusual is this? How scripted are these incidents? How quickly could they get out of control?

[ 06:49 ] What are both sides aiming to achieve in these kinds of confrontations?

[ 09:24 ] How should the U.S. respond?

[ 10:51 ] How does this fit with the future of the JCPOA and the broader U.S.-Iranian dynamics these days?