Key Facts
- Duration
- 24 July 1987 – 26 September 1988
- Scale
- Largest naval convoy op since World War II
- UN Resolution
- Resolution 598 adopted three days prior
- First USSOCOM tactical operation
- Navy SEALs, Special Boat Units, 160th SOAR working together
- Naval assets
- Carrier Battle Groups, Surface Action Groups, 3rd/6th/7th Fleets
Strategic Narrative Overview
U.S. Navy warships drawn from the Pacific's Third and Seventh Fleets and the Mediterranean-based Sixth Fleet formed convoy escorts for re-flagged tankers transiting the Persian Gulf. U.S. Air Force AWACS aircraft provided aerial surveillance, while U.S. Army 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment helicopters hunted potential Iranian attackers. It marked the first joint tactical deployment of USSOCOM, integrating Navy SEALs, Special Boat Units, and the Nightstalkers in a single operation. France and Britain also contributed naval support.
01 / The Origins
By 1987, the Iran–Iraq War had entered its Tanker War phase, during which Iran targeted commercial shipping in the Persian Gulf to strangle Iraqi oil revenues. Kuwait, heavily invested in Iraqi oil exports, sought superpower protection for its tankers. The United States agreed to re-flag Kuwaiti vessels under American colors, and UN Security Council Resolution 598 provided diplomatic backing for the operation, which began three days after the resolution's adoption.
03 / The Outcome
The operation concluded on 26 September 1988, shortly after the Iran–Iraq War ceasefire took effect in August 1988 under Resolution 598. Iranian attacks on Gulf shipping diminished following military pressure and diplomatic isolation. The operation demonstrated the viability of large-scale U.S. naval power projection in the Persian Gulf and established precedents for future joint special-operations coordination in the region.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
4 belligerents