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Tanker War: America’s First Conflict with Iran, 1987–88 Hardcover – January 7, 2009
This quasi-war took place at the climax of the mammoth Iran-Iraq War, during the last years of the Reagan administration. Losing on the battlefield, Ayatollah Khomeini’s Iran had decided to close the Persian Gulf against shipping from Iraq’s oil-rich backers, the emirate of Kuwait. The Kuwaitis appealed for help and America sent a fleet to the Gulf, raising the Stars and Stripes over Kuwait’s commercial tankers.
The result was a free-for-all, as the Iranians laid mines throughout the narrow passage and launched attack boats against both tankers and US warships. The sixth largest ship in the world, the tanker Bridgeton, hit an Iranian mine and flooded. The US Navy fought its largest surface battle since World War II against the Ayatollah’s assault boats.
Meanwhile, US Navy Seals had arrived in the Gulf, setting up shop aboard a mobile platform from which they would sally out in fast craft to combat the Iranians. As Saddam Hussein, who had instigated the conflict, looked on, Iranian gunners fired shore-based Silkworm missiles against US ships, actions which, if made known at the time, would have required the US Congress to declare war against Iran.
In July 1988, nervous sailors aboard the cruiser USS Vincennes shot an Iranian airliner out of the sky, killing 300 civilians. This event came one month before the end of the war, and may have been the final straw to influence the Ayatollah to finally drink from his “poisoned chalice.”
In Tanker War, Lee Allen Zatarain, employing recently released Pentagon documents, firsthand interviews, and a determination to get to the truth, has revealed a conflict that few recognized at the time, but which may have presaged further battles to come.
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION
1: THE STARK DISASTER
2: TARGET: KUWAIT
3: RAISING QUESTIONS
4: OPERATION EARNEST WILL
5: AMBUSH
6: RETHINKING
7: THE INVISIBLE HAND STRIKES AGAIN
8: IN FLAGRANTE
9: FORT APACHE—THE GULF
10: “TURN AND ENGAGE”
11: “WE WILL COMMENCE FIRING”
12: “WE ARE THE BIG WINNERS IN THE GULF NOW”
13: “NO HIGHER HONOR”
14: “A ONE-DAY WAR”
15: “STOP, ABANDON SHIP, I INTEND TO SINK YOU”
16: “NONE OF THESE LADIES HAS A SCRATCH ON HER”
17: “MULTIPLE SILKWORMS INBOUND”
18: POLICEMAN OF THE GULF?
19: “UNKNOWN, ASSUMED HOSTILE”
20: “I DEEPLY REGRET THE RESULT, IF NOT THE DECISION
21: SEA OF LIES?
22: “GIVE ME THE KEY. GIVE ME THE KEY.”
23: “THEY DON’T FIGHT LIKE IRANIANS ANYMORE”
END NOTES
INDEX
- Print length448 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherCasemate
- Publication dateJanuary 7, 2009
- Dimensions6 x 1 x 9.25 inches
- ISBN-10193203384X
- ISBN-13978-1932033847
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Editorial Reviews
Review
Internet Modeler
"…well researched… a compelling read for the armchair enthusiast and military veteran alike."
IPMS/USA
“…a very well documented book on a subject we saw flash on the nightly news back in the 1980’s…an excellent book on a very little known conflict in US Naval History.
Kitmaker Network
...does an excellent job of describing the tension aboard US ships and helicopter/ air crews... a good read and a fast one, especially for those of us unfamiliar with the war" in the first place."
Russ Lockwood, Magweb.com
“…a very well documented book on a subject we saw flash on the nightly news…an excellent book on a very little known conflict in US Naval history.”
Model Shipwrights
"…one of the best reads of the year…the best and most accurate account of the events of that fateful time peiod…answers a lot of questions and brings up a few as all, It is one that you simply must read."
Modeling Madness
“…a compelling and immensely readable account of one of the least-known chapters of the U.S. Navy’s maritime combat operations… a must read for those who have a desire or a duty to understand how recent history may shape perceptions of these protagonists in the future.”
Naval War College Review
“…a fine job of recounting a 20 year old fight that was no doubt just another round in a continuing struggle.”
Proceedings
“Anyone thirsting for the maximum detail of the period under the spotlight will not be disappointed…packed with information…a very readable account, which sheds considerable light and insight on what the public were fed at the time.”
Royal Navy and Maritime Book Reviews
"an excitingly written and very clear description of two oft forgotten but vitally important years in the relationship between Iran and the West."
Ships and Shipping
"Well paced and factual… clearly understands the details of war at sea. As the United States discusses a possible conflict with Iran in the global press, the important lessons outlined…become particularly valuable.”"
The Northern Mariner
“…full of such head shaking revelations and is a good source of information on America’s naval readiness, its Middle East policies and its heroes and scapegoats in the not too distant past.”
The Journal of America’s Military Past
".presents a case study of the complex relations based on oil, politics, and power. During the Reagan administration, and undeclared war was launched between America and Iran after the latter threatened shipping through the Gulf and the Straits of Hormuz. The ensuing conflict is known as the Tanker War, and Zatarain’s account is both thorough and balanced…The author’s thoroughness creates an almost first person narration of the conflict beginning with Iran’s ambush of the American frigate Stark to the errant shooting down of Iran Air Flight 655. His chronicale adopts and American perspective yet bias remains absent from his work….For readers interested in Persian Gulf affairs, America’s First Clash With Iran offers an exhaustive and impartial history of largely forgotten and overlooked situation…a well rounded discussion of the metaphorical chess match between America and Iran. Though the Tanker War ceased in 1988, these events continue to be relevant today, as America’s relationship with Middle Eastern nations remains tenuous…"
Nautical Research Journal
"Lee Zatarain leaves no stone unturned in his analysis of this little remembered naval conflict between the United States and Iran. From his riveting prose and suspense building hooks to his powerful blow by blow take downs of the conflicts biggest questions. Zatarain delivers a sure winner. Military and civilian readers with any interest in naval or recent military history should most definitely add Tanker War to their reading queues."
Army Lawyer
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Product details
- Publisher : Casemate (January 7, 2009)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 448 pages
- ISBN-10 : 193203384X
- ISBN-13 : 978-1932033847
- Item Weight : 1.64 pounds
- Dimensions : 6 x 1 x 9.25 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #2,529,199 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #236 in Armored Vehicles Weapons & Warfare History
- #1,828 in Iraq War History (Books)
- #5,803 in Naval Military History
- Customer Reviews:
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You'll pick up on the tempo quickly when you get into this book and renew (or begin) your appreciation of the high tech world of sea-borne warfare in the modern age. Be quick - or be dead. Besides the technology involved for good or evil, there is an accurate depiction of real sailors - real leaders - in the formula for Naval supremacy. You'll learn to appreciate these sailors and the fighting spirit they bring to the age of instant decisions and sudden death.
You will also learn to appreciate a great deal more - The complex mix of explosive politics in this region where a hiccup can destabilize a whole way of life on any of five continents; The near impossibility of international alliances to counter common threats; The seemingly harmless mistakes in procedure that can lead to death when time is not on your side; How the Australian sheep market can raise the level of tension in waters under contention; How a "Filipino Monkey" can force a tipping point to global war; and why the C.O. of a US Navy missile frigate would "charge" head on - a silkworm missile.
Global Politics and Sea Power in action. Good stuff! A GREAT read. A superb education, even for the well informed, in the world of foggy news reporting.
I really enjoyed learning the details of the various command and diplomatic decisions that had to be made, how the US Army aviation elements were brought into the mix, how the various Special Ops units operated, the dynamics of modern shipboard operations, the capabilities of the various weapon systems and the details of the different engagements. The author came across as very thoughtful and refreshingly fair-minded. I actually enjoyed the final few chapters, which grind through a nitty-gritty, but still very interesting, analysis of the shooting down of Iranian Air Flight 655 by the USS Vincennes on July 3rd, 1988. Since I do not know enough to point out any flaws in the author's obviously well-informed analysis, I'll just say that it all certainly seemed well-argued, balanced and thoroughly detailed. Zatarain does not shy away from placing blame where he thinks it should be--either on the American or Iranian side. Hopefully all of his detailed analysis will offer some final closure to this very unfortunate civilian airliner incident. Although in hindsight, based largely on what I learned from this book, I think the Reagan administration might have handled the "PR" aspects of this incident a bit better, I also found it disgusting (although unsurprising) that the Iranians simply used the tragedy as a propaganda ploy in an attempt to tarnish the image of the (so-called) "Great Satan."
Overall, the author's in-depth coverage and analysis of all the actions and key decisions that were covered in the book came off as very astute. As far as I can tell, the book discusses every significant event that took place during this 1987-1988 conflict, including the various codenamed U.S. military operations (i.e. Operations Earnest Will, Prime Chance, Eager Glacier, Nimble Archer and Praying Mantis). Although I haven't read any other titles on the subject, I think 'Tanker War' clearly establishes itself as the definitive book on this period of conflict in the Persian Gulf, since I don't see how anyone could write a more thoughtful, balanced and well-researched account. Possibly a more informed and detailed book on this topic will be written one day, perhaps when more documents are declassified, but for now this is the one book to read for those who are sincerely interested. Indeed, 'Tanker War' is the best book on naval history that I've read since 'Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway', by Jonathan Parshall and Anthony Tully, and 'The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors', by James D. Hornfischer. It is exciting, thorough--without becoming repetitive and boring, and very well-written.
Finally, as someone who has lived and traveled extensively in the Middle East, Lee Allen Zatarain's comment, when discussing Iranian Air Flight 655 on page 309, that "airlines in the Middle East were notorious for their poor seat-belt discipline" also brought back some memories. If anything, I consider this comment of his as something of an understatement, since like so many things in that part of our planet, safety concerns are lackadaisical at best--seemingly due to a sad combination of general apathy, societal sloth, and a casual and unreflective disregard for human life that is often coupled with a religious mentality that encourages surrendering to fate. I feel that knowing all of this first-hand helped me to better appreciate and understand the deep tragedy that is painstakingly covered in the latter portions of this fine work.
If you are interested in the 1987-1988 "Tanker War" in the Persian Gulf, especially if you participated in this conflict, I encourage you to buy this book and read it. I'm very confident that you will not be disappointed.

