Massive US Force Enters Straits Of Hormuz

By Cernig

Yet more sabre-rattling:

The U.S. Navy staged its latest show of military force off the Iranian coastline on Wednesday, sending two aircraft carriers and landing ships packed with 17,000 U.S. Marines and sailors to carry out unannounced exercises in the Persian Gulf.

The carrier strike groups led by the USS John C. Stennis and USS Nimitz were joined by the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard and its own strike group, which includes landing ships carrying members of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

The Navy said nine U.S. warships passed through the narrow Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday.

Whether it's to ratchet up the pressure on Iran as part of an adjunct to diplomatic moves, an attempt to destabilize the Iranian regime by constant threat of attack or simply trying to entice the Iranians into giving provocation for actual war, this sounds way too much like playing "chicken" to me. The last set of massive U.S. naval exercises in the Gulf were only in March. The trouble with playing chicken is that eventually there's going to be a collision.