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When the tanker ignores you and the drone gets shot down, the message is clear 🚨 This wasn’t strength. This was a stress fracture. On Feb 3, IRGC gunboats tried to bully a U.S.-flagged tanker in international waters. They ordered it to stop. They threatened boarding. The tanker ignored them — sped up — and called for help. 🇺🇸 What happened next matters. • U.S. Navy destroyer USS McFaul moved in • U.S. air assets provided cover • An Iranian Mohajer drone backed off • The tanker transited safely No boarding. No seizure. No escalation. The same day, Iran pushed it further — a Shahed-139 drone harassed the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group. It ignored warnings. An F-35C shot it down. 🎯 This is the crack. For years, the regime sold a myth: • “We control Hormuz” • “We can swarm U.S. forces” • “America won’t respond” Reality check: • The tanker didn’t comply • The swarm backed off • The drone was destroyed • The U.S. didn’t blink 🧠 Why this matters Iran’s regime escalates when it feels weak — not strong. This harassment wasn’t dominance. It was testing red lines under pressure. Sanctions. Internal unrest. A visible U.S. military buildup. Nuclear talks looming. So Tehran poked. And immediately de-escalated. ⚠️ Bottom line When a regime relies on harassment instead of control — and retreats the moment it’s challenged — that’s not deterrence. That’s fragility. Hormuz wasn’t closed. The tanker wasn’t seized. The drone didn’t make it home. The illusion cracked — and everyone saw it. 📌 Sources: U.S. Central Command • CBS News • Vanguard Tech • WSJ • Times of Israel • vessel tracking data