The 800 Pound Gorilla

The Brits released satellite data showing that their sailors were within Iraqi waters and not in Iran at the time of their detainment. They are playing hardball by freezing all business with Iran until the situation is resolved. And Iran is vowing to release the only female member of the crew, perhaps a result of the discreet talks the two sides have been engaging in.

And in the middle of all this, with Iran appearing to fudge the truth and world opinion moving to Britain's side, we have this (h/t The Left Coaster):

The U.S. Navy on Tuesday began its largest demonstration of force in the Persian Gulf since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, led by a pair of aircraft carriers and backed by warplanes flying simulated attack maneuvers off the coast of Iran.

The maneuvers bring together two strike groups of U.S. warships and more than 100 U.S. warplanes to conduct simulated air warfare in the crowded Gulf shipping lanes.

U.S. Navy Cmdr. Kevin Aandahl said the U.S. maneuvers were not organized in response to the capture of the British sailors — nor were they meant to threaten the Islamic Republic, whose navy operates in the same waters.

He declined to specify when the Navy planned the exercises.

Aandahl said the U.S. warships would stay out of Iranian territorial waters, which extend 12 miles off the Iranian coast.

How many times does the older asshole brother America have to come around and change the whole dynamic? While I'm sure this is part of the British strategy in some sense, gunboat diplomacy is not really what's going to get the world on your side in this case. There's soft power and there's stupid power. This is a damn stupid provocation.

UPDATE: This is also true, there's not a compelling reason to believe Tony Blair on much of anything, given his track record. But I'd give them the benefit of the doubt if it wasn't also accompanied by these naval war games.