Operation Praying Mantis was a little known military incursion by the
United States against
Iran in 1988. The circumstances that lead up to Operation Praying Mantis grew out of the bitter
Iran-Iraq War.
Iran had become increasingly aggressive in the northern
Persian Gulf in an effort to hamper
Iraq’s
oil trade. As the
war turned into a bloody
stalemate,
Iranian forces began harassing and attacking
neutral shipping in the area. On October 19, 1987, an
Iranian
missile attack on a
Kuwaiti
supertanker prompted a mild
military response from the
United States. US
warships shelled
command and control oil platforms in the
Arabian Gulf. Tensions did not recede however, and a US military build-up in the
Gulf was initiated. US
warships were assigned to protect
convoys of
merchant ships passing through the
Persian Gulf.
Tensions came to a head on April 14, 1988. On that day, the
USS Samuel B. Roberts sighted three
mines floating approximately one-half mile from the
ship. Twenty minutes after the first sighting, as the Samuel B. Roberts was backing clear of the minefield, she struck a
submerged
mine. The resulting
explosion ripped a 30 by 23 foot hole in its
hull and injured ten sailors. Only after a seven-hour struggle was the crew able to save the
ship from sinking. The Samuel B. Roberts was sent back to the
United States for repair.
The United States’ response was Operation Praying Mantis which began on April 18, 1988. The
USS Simpson,
USS Wainwright, and
USS Bagley attacked the
Iranian
frigate Sahalan and
oil platforms in the
Sirri and
Sassan oil fields. The
Iranian
Navy missile
patrol combatant
Joshan approached the three U.S. ships. When the Joshan was warned to stand clear, she responded by firing a
Harpoon missile at the group.
Chaff was able to divert the
missile and the
USS Simpson was the first ship to return fire, striking
Joshan with a missile of her own. After the
Joshan was disabled by
missile fire, she was sunk by
gunfire.
Special forces operating from the
USS Trenton boarded and secured another oil platform used to coordinate attacks on merchant shipping.
SEALs next secured the
Iranian
minelayer ship
Ajar after it was disabled by US
Helos helicopter gunship fire. After valuable documents incriminating
Iran in attacks in the
Persian Gulf were seized,
explosive charges were placed on
Ajar and it was sunk shortly there after. After the two days of fighting, Operation Praying Mantis was deemed a success and hostilities ended.
The immediate result of Operation Praying Mantis was the destruction of three
Iranian
warships, two command and control
oil platforms, and at least six combatant
speedboats.
Iranian military presence in the Gulf was shattered and the US emerged as the clear dominant force in the waterway. Operation Praying Mantis also directly influenced the course of the
Iran-Iraq War. The incidents sullied
Iran’s international reputation considerably, making it difficult for Iranian dictator
Ayatollah Khomeini to obtain arms. In July 1988, despite
Khomeini’s desires for total victory,
Iran was forced to accept a
United Nations–mandated
cease-fire effectively ending the
Iran-Iraq War.