Iran Tensions Expose Oil Sea Change in the Persian Gulf - Bloomberg:
“It is not the role of the United States to take the lead in protecting neutral shipping in the [Persian] Gulf.” 1
That was George Shultz, President Ronald Reagan’s Secretary of State, arguing in early 1987 against granting a request from Kuwait to reflag its oil tankers as American and gain protection from Iran during the so-called “Tanker War.” Shultz didn’t prevail. The reflagging and U.S. Navy convoy operation known as Earnest Will kicked off within months.
Tensions in the Persian Gulf are high once again; the latest incident involves an unmanned drone being shot down. Earlier this week, Air Force General Paul Selva, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said something to a group of reporters gathered in Washington that echoed Shultz, as reported in Defense News:
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