Don’t Step on Iran
On Jan. 12, 2016, two American navy patrol boats with a combined force of 10 men were seized by the Iranian government under suspicion of “snooping” off the coast of the Farsi Islands, which is home to a major and currently operational Iranian naval base. This news came mere days after yet another American-Iranian nuclear deal, in which America was willing to finally free up to 100 billion dollars of Iranian assets, as a result of them proving that they disposed of 98 percent of their nuclear fuel. Why would Iran, who obviously benefits from this deal, suddenly do something that many American citizens find offensive and unwarranted?
Iran and America have, for the most part, coexisted in the Persian Gulf, albeit with much suspicion and distrust on both sides. Even though American boats were overstepping their boundaries, it’s not as though Iran hasn’t done the same in the past, only under different circumstances. In the 21st century alone, there has been much general animosity from both the government and people of Iran towards American citizens (detainment of three American hikers in August 2009), the American military (this current seizure of American vessels), and to American field journalists (the detainment of Roxana Saberi in April 2009). Yet even with this said, America has also crossed the line with its controversial use of UAVs, incredibly strict sanctions and massive deployment of troops in and around the Persian Gulf. These statistics all beg the question of who is more valid in their complaints: America or Iran?
Every time America has forced itself upon a tense situation within the past decade, especially in the Middle East, conditions have consistently gotten worse post-American involvement. Just look at the conflict in Iraq. After we deposed the regime of Saddam Hussein, which was our initial goal, the war dragged on, and during that time, Americans committed atrocities. Some could argue that even now, the backlash caused by the invasion led to even more anti-American and anti-Western sentiments in the Middle East. Even after gruesome wars that end miserably, many Americans still can’t bring themselves to believe that sometimes, butting into places where our involvement isn’t required isn’t the best option.
Here we see another example in which America has stepped on toes and heightened distrust in a struggling nation. Was the U.S. Navy’s patrol boat warranted in patrolling the waters that close to the coast of Iran? The details of the event are far and in between, with two different narratives telling two opposite stories—one being that navigational errors and engine troubles caused a shift in position, the latter suggesting that Americans were intentionally “trespassing” in Iranian waters. In this situation, I side with Iranian politicians, who argue that U.S. boats were unwarranted in allowing this to happen.
However, was this disaster major enough to require the capture and interrogation of the sailors on board? No. Reports cite that the patrol boats were, at most, three miles away from the Islands of Farsi. They also say that one of the boats had an engine failure, and as a result, couldn’t immediately back off when it received warnings from the Iranian navy. This is a legitimate excuse—accidents happen. However, when a vessel is positioned in such a tense area, accidents can be completely fatal (as demonstrated by recent events), and to be perfectly frank, accidents just shouldn’t happen when the stakes are so high. Iran may have gone overboard with their response, but the U.S. Navy obviously should have been more conscientious about what they were doing. It’s not as if we weren’t aware of what the Iranian government was willing to do.
What makes these events even more relevant is the fact that slowly but surely, American and Iranian relations have gotten better. This step over the line may weaken the tentative relationship forming between our two countries. Obviously, we are nowhere near an alliance, but we were on the right track. Will this be the final straw that breaks the camel’s back in the eyes of Iran? Hopefully not.
America needs to get its stuff together. Mistakes such as this cannot be tolerated. It is incorrect to suggest that the United States is a war-mongering, bigoted country that causes strife in places where inaction would have been the best option. But it is naïve to always assume that aggressive American involvement in foreign affairs will be met with peace and love.