Read This Book! America's First Clash with Iran

This little-remembered chapter in our relations with Iran deserves far more attention than it has received. Author Allen Zatarain's book does an acceptable job of explaining the historical background that resulted in the United States providing escort to shipping in the Persian Gulf during the later phases of the Iran-Iraq war. He provides a narrative of the most serious confrontations between the United States and Iran. American policy had to walk a fine line between compelling Iran to leave shipping alone and preventing confrontations with them from escalating into a full-scale war.

One of the closing events of the conflict, the downing of an Iranian civilian airline by the USS Vincennes, an Aegis-class missile frigate, is dealt with in considerable detail.

America's First Clash with Iran is available for checkout at the Marshall Public Library.

John Bickelhaupt, Reference Librarian