I suppose Russia will counter. There’s always the danger that the “new” course of conflict, without clearly stated rules, and the feeling that America, weak and politically divided, will respond as say, Britain did to seizing of it’s ships, would spiral out of control.

The most obvious counter is small, zodiac type boarding parties to “seize” or at least harass various USN vessels. This could be done to “test” US responses and I suppose various Iranian people could be used as deniable proxies for some of the testing. Can one use the scenario outlined in the USN war games (harassing small ships for days, to erode readiness, followed by a surprise attack)?

I don’t know the answer, but the Russians could find out. Like I said, the Iranians could provide a suitable proxy, or “Abkhazian” forces.

The less obvious counter would be to assist the Iranians in closing the Gulf. That would suit Ahmadinejad’s and Putin’s needs. The Gulf, obviously, would not STAY closed but closed enough to drive up oil prices sky high again. Keep the cash flowing in. Gunmen paid. It would provide a proxy test with even better deniability against the USN, with the promise of sinking a few American ships to intimidate Gulf nations. Which is Iran’s game and Russia supports (so Iran will fight America).

If things are REALLY bad of course, Ahmadinejad will do his best to create a war with the US, so the reason the payments do not go out to his gunmen is “America.”