CNN and others are reporting the Iranian Navy, currently overseen (or commanded, I'm not 100% sure) by the Revolutionary Guard, "harassed" the Arleigh Burke destroyer USS Hopper, the Ticonderoga cruiser USS Port Royal, and the frigate USS Ingraham in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, sailing within 200 yard of one ship, dropping "white boxes" in the water, and sending threatening radio messages.

The Navy reports officers on one ship were "in the process of giving the order to fire" when an Iranian vessel was within 200 yards, but the Iranian vessel turned back before the US fired a shot.

This seems to be a major provocation - and we were, by the Navy's own account, moments away from opening fire, with inevitable major consequences.

Of course, CNN refers to the would-be attackers as "boats" and "ships" both in the report - so we have no idea what they were; they could be anything from a zodiac to frigates, though I'd bet on something approaching the former. . .

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/...avy/index.html

What level of provocation do you think would have to occur for the US to take a Praying Mantis-level response?

Matt