Photo: USNavy / Getty Images
Both Iran and Iraq attacked oil tankers and merchant ships, including those of neutral nations, to deprive the opponent of commercial gains. After several Iranian attacks on Kuwaiti and other neutral ships, the United States Navy began in March 1200 to escort Kuwaiti tankers.
Just before 8: 00 am on 18 from April 1988, members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGCN) Navy stationed at Sassan oil rigs and Sirri, in the Persian Gulf, received a warning from US Navy ships several thousand meters away.
“You have five minutes to leave the platform. I intend to destroy it at 08: 00”, said the warning.
Some Iranians boarded ships and they fled, but others began to take their weapons. Shortly after 8: 00 am, the platforms came under fire from US destroyers, frigates and a guided missile cruiser.
These were the opening shots of Operation Praying Mantis, a retaliation for the mining exploitation of the Persian Gulf by Iran, which had damaged the USS Samuel B. Roberts guided-missile frigate days earlier.
It would be the largest US naval action since WWII and the first time warships had engaged each other with anti-ship missiles.
The ships are The Americans ceased fire to allow more Iranians to evacuate, then opened fire again with naval guns and from helicopters.
At 9: 25 am, a team of marines climbed onto the platform with quick ropes and secured it in 30 minutes. Two hours later they evacuated, destroying the platform.
By the end of the day, the Navy had destroyed two IRGCN bases, sunk three Iranian ships and severely damaged five more, killing more than 80 members of the IRGCN and the Marines Iranian in the process.
The US casualties were a SeaCobra and its two-man crew, which crashed during a reconnaissance mission.
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