Have you heard the story about the time the U.S. Navy destroyed half of Iran’s navy in a single day? This is not a movie script but a real event that showed the world the consequences of provocation. This massive naval engagement showcased the daring of sailors and pilots and the explosive outcome of Operation Praying Mantis.

What unfolded was the largest surface naval battle for the U.S. Navy since World War II, and it all happened in about eight hours. The stage was set during the long and brutal Iran-Iraq War. The conflict spilled into the Persian Gulf, threatening the global oil supply that passed through the critical chokepoint of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran had a simple strategy to cripple its enemy. They decided to choke off Iraq’s economy by attacking its oil tankers. This phase of the conflict became known as the “Tanker War,” a period of intense naval warfare that drew international attention.

The plan seemed solid at first, but Iraq received help from its neighbor, Kuwait, which allowed Iraq to use its tankers. Iran’s response was to begin attacking Kuwaiti tankers, too. This created a huge problem for the global economy, as Kuwait was a major supplier of inexpensive oil.

When Kuwaiti tankers started exploding, that cheap oil was at risk. Iran had accidentally committed a major sin of the 20th century by causing gas prices to rise. America responded by assembling a huge naval convoy under Operation Earnest Will to protect the Kuwaiti tankers, but Iran escalated by placing naval mines in international shipping lanes.

Operation Praying Mantis Table of Contents:

• A New Frigate and a Devastating Strike
• A “Proportional Response” Is Ordered
• Operation Praying Mantis Begins
  • Chaos on Multiple Fronts
  • Pilots Take the Initiative
• Aftermath and a Legal Twist
• Conclusion

A New Frigate and a Devastating Strike

On April 14, 1988, the USS Samuel B. Roberts, a nearly new guided-missile frigate, was on escort duty. While trying to avoid known minefields, it strayed into an uncharted one. The ship struck an Iranian mine, and the resulting explosion was catastrophic, ripping a massive hole in the hull and snapping the ship’s keel.

The only thing holding the ship together was the superstructure on the top deck. Water flooded the engine rooms, and fires raged across the vessel. In the first minute alone, the ship took on half its own weight in water, a dire situation for any naval vessel.

By any measure, the USS Samuel B. Roberts should have sunk. But this crew was different, having been rigorously trained for such a scenario. The damage control teams on the “Sammy B” were already known as some of the best in the Navy, and they immediately sprang into action.

For five agonizing hours, the crew fought fires and flooding. They heroically used heavy steel cables to literally winch the two halves of the ship’s structure back together, stabilizing the hull. Miraculously, their relentless training and grit paid off, and they saved their ship, limping back to port in Dubai without a single American life lost.

A “Proportional Response” Is Ordered

Navy divers inspected the damage and recovered pieces of the mine. The serial numbers on the fragments confirmed they were Iranian-made. This definitive proof was sent all the way to President Ronald Reagan.

After being briefed on the crew’s incredible survival and bravery, the Reagan administration made a decision. America would deliver a “proportional response” to the attack. However, the interpretation of that order by military planners led to a meticulously planned and decisive operation.

The plan they devised was simple and punishing. Iran was using three offshore oil platforms not for drilling, but as military command posts and helicopter bases for the IRGC Navy. The U.S. Navy decided all three platforms had to be neutralized.

They also identified Iran’s two most modern warships, the frigates ISIN Sahand and ISIN Sabalan, as primary targets. To execute the plan, the Navy formed three Surface Action Groups, or SAGs, codenamed Bravo, Charlie, and Delta. This organizational structure allowed for coordinated, simultaneous strikes.

Watching over the entire operation was the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, positioned just outside the Persian Gulf. Its air wing was ready to provide critical air support if needed. The stage was set for a major confrontation.

Operation Praying Mantis Begins

Four days after the mining of the USS Samuel B. Roberts, on April 18, 1988, Operation Praying Mantis began. SAG Bravo arrived at its first target, the Sassan oil platform. They radioed a clear warning, telling everyone on board they had five minutes to evacuate before the platform was destroyed.

As workers scrambled into tugboats, U.S. commanders demonstrated restraint by extending the evacuation time. After twenty minutes, another warning was sent, followed by a few shots from a 5-inch gun fired over the platform to hurry along anyone remaining.

That is when a lone Iranian soldier attempted a brave but futile act of defiance. He manned a 23mm anti-aircraft gun and opened fire on the U.S. destroyers. Without hesitation, one of the destroyer’s main guns fired a direct shot, neutralizing the threat instantly without causing significant additional damage to the rig.

The Navy radioed again, asking if anyone else wanted to fight, and received a clear negative response. After the rest of the crew departed, U.S. Marines boarded the platform. They planted demolition charges and blew it up, sending a clear message.

Chaos on Multiple Fronts

While SAG Bravo was engaged, SAG Charlie was busy with its target, the Sirri oil platform. The situation unfolded similarly, but instead of Marines, this group had Navy SEALs. When Iranians on the Sirri platform opened fire, the U.S. warships responded by shelling the rig until it was engulfed in flames.

Things quickly escalated across the Gulf. Iran, now realizing a major attack was underway, sent its naval forces to sea. They began employing asymmetric warfare tactics, attacking any vessel they could find, including a civilian cargo ship called the Willie Tide.

The USS Enterprise launched a group of A-6 Intruder attack jets to intervene. The A-6s dropped cluster bombs on the swarming Iranian speedboats, sinking one vessel belonging to the IRGC Navy and scattering the rest. This swift action protected the neutral vessel from further harm.

Back at SAG Charlie, an Iranian Joshan-class fast-attack craft was speeding directly at them. The U.S. ships radioed a warning, informing the Iranian vessel that it was not on their target list and should turn away. The Iranian ship’s commander replied that he would but continued on a collision course.

The Joshan then locked its fire control radar onto the American ships, a clear sign of hostile intent according to the rules of engagement. SAG Charlie immediately launched Standard missiles. The Iranian boat was hit and sunk in moments, a dramatic example of modern naval warfare.

Just as the smoke cleared, radar operators detected three Iranian F-4 Phantom jets heading for the group. The cruiser USS Wainwright fired surface-to-air missiles. The F-4s attempted to flee but could not outrun the missiles, and one was hit, blowing its wing off and sending it into the sea.

Pilots Take the Initiative

By now, the “proportional” response had grown significantly. The U.S. had destroyed an oil platform, sunk a patrol boat, and shot down a fighter jet. High command ordered SAG Bravo to hold off on attacking its second oil platform to de-escalate.

But just then, SAG Delta radioed in; they had located the Iranian frigate ISIN Sahand. A-6 Intruder pilots were sent from the USS Enterprise to perform a fly-by and confirm the target’s identity. These pilots, however, had their own interpretation of the rules of engagement.

They were only authorized to fire if fired upon first, so they decided to provoke a response. They dropped their A-6 Intruders down to just 50 feet above the water and screamed past the Iranian frigate at high speed. The frigate’s gunners opened fire but could not aim low enough to hit the fast-moving jets.

Once clear of the ineffective gunfire, the A-6 pilots radioed the frigate to announce they were now going to sink it, as they were legally cleared to engage. They fired a Harpoon missile, scoring a direct hit. This was followed by laser-guided bombs that left the frigate burning and sinking.

As they left the scene, SAG Delta arrived and finished the job with their munitions. While flying back to the Enterprise, the same A-6 pilots spotted the other targeted frigate, the ISIN Sabalan. By this point, the American pilots were low on weapons, but the Sabalan opened fire on them anyway.

One pilot decided to use a classic tactic. He put his jet into a steep dive, like a World War II dive bomber, with anti-aircraft fire whizzing past. His bombardier locked on, and the pilot released his bomb, which went straight down the frigate’s smokestack. The explosion destroyed the ship’s engine room, leaving it dead in the water.

With the Sabalan disabled, U.S. leadership called a ceasefire. They decided to let the crippled ship be towed away rather than sink it completely. In one day, the U.S. had either sunk or severely disabled a huge portion of Iran’s naval power.

Aftermath and a Legal Twist

Later that night, Iran launched Silkworm anti-ship missiles from shore at U.S. vessels. None of them hit their targets. The use of these missiles was a major escalation, but the Reagan administration, wanting to avoid a wider war, gave Iran an out.

They told the Iranians to claim it was an accident, and the U.S. would let the matter drop. Iran agreed but later decided to take the United States to the International Court of Justice. They argued that attacking the oil rigs was a violation of international law.

The court initially seemed to agree with Iran, as the attack did seem to go far beyond a “proportional” response. However, the American legal team had a surprise. They pointed to the text of an old 1955 treaty between the U.S. and Iran.

The treaty specifically prohibited attacks that endangered commerce and navigation between the two countries. The U.S. legal team argued that since Iran had been attacking neutral shipping, they had violated the treaty first. The court ultimately ruled that it could not support either side’s claims for compensation, and the case was dismissed.

And what about the ship that started it all? The crippled USS Samuel B. Roberts was towed back to Bath, Maine. The entire damaged section, including the engine room, was cut out in an incredible feat of ship repair. A new 300-ton module was built and welded into place.

Just one year later, the ship was back in the water, fully repaired and ready for duty. The frigate went on to serve in the Navy for over two more decades. Its story became a legendary example of superior damage control and the resilience of a U.S. Navy crew.

Conclusion

The events of that single day in 1988 were a brutal lesson in modern naval warfare. The damage inflicted during Operation Praying Mantis was a direct and powerful answer to the mining of a single U.S. frigate. It demonstrated incredible skill, coordination, and overwhelming firepower from the U.S. military.

From the heroic damage control on the USS Samuel B. Roberts to the daring pilots of the A-6 Intruders, the operation was a showcase of American military capability. It served as a stark reminder of the consequences of aggression on the high seas.

Operation Praying Mantis reinforced the principle of freedom of navigation. It remains a significant event in U.S. naval history, proving that a measured but powerful response can reshape a conflict in a matter of hours.