1987 U.S. naval attack on Iranian oil platforms during the Iran-Iraq War
Operation Nimble Archer
Part of Iran–Iraq War, Operation Earnest Will
An Iranian oil platform set ablaze after shelling by American destroyers
Location
Persian Gulf
Commanded by
United States
Target
Two Iranian oil platforms (Resalat and Reshadat)
Date
19 October 1987
Executed by
United States Navy: 6 warships, 3 aircraft
Outcome
American victory
Oil platforms destroyed[1]
Casualties
None
v
t
e
Iran–Iraq War
Pre-war incidents
1975 Algiers Agreement
Iranian Revolution
1979 Kurdish rebellion in Iran
1979 Khuzestan insurgency
Iranian Embassy siege
Iraqi invasion of Iran (1980)
Iraqi airstrike
Revenge
Kaman 99
1st Khorramshahr
Scorch Sword
Dezful
Sultan 10
Abadan
Morvarid
Stalemate (1981)
Nasr
H-3
Opera
Iranian offensives to free Iranian territory (1981–82)
Samen-ol-A'emeh
Tariq-ol-Qods
Fath-ol-Mobin
Beit-ol-Moqaddas (2nd Khorramshahr)
Iranian offensives in Iraq (1982–84)
Ramadan (1st Basra)
Moslem Ibn Aqil
Muharram ol-Harram
Before the Dawn
Dawn 1
Dawn 2
Dawn 3
Dawn 4
Dawn 5 (2nd Basra)
Kheibar (3rd Basra)
Kurdish rebellion (1983)
Dawn 6
Dawn 7
Marshes
Iranian offensives in Iraq (1985–87)
Badr (4th Basra)
Dawn 8 (1st al-Faw)
Dawn 9
Karbala 1 (Mehran)
Karbala 2
Karbala 3
Fath 1
Karbala 4 (5th Basra)
Karbala 5 (6th Basra)
Karbala 6
Karbala 7
Karbala 8 (7th Basra)
Karbala 9
Karbala 10
Nasr 4
Final stages (1988)
Beit-ol-Moqaddas 2
Anfal campaign
Beit-ol-Moqaddas 3
Dawn 10
Halabja massacre
Beit-ol-Moqaddas 4
Zafar 7
Tawakalna ala Allah (2nd al-Faw)
Forty Stars
Eternal Light
Mersad
Tanker War
June 5 1984 Skirmish
Earnest Will
Bridgeton incident
Prime Chance
Eager Glacier
Nimble Archer
Praying Mantis
International incidents
1981 Iraqi embassy bombing in Beirut
USS Stark incident
Iran Air Flight 655
Operation Nimble Archer was the 19 October 1987 attack on two Iranian oil platforms in the Persian Gulf by United States Navy forces. The attack was a response to Iran's missile attack on MV Sea Isle City, a reflagged Kuwaiti oil tanker at anchor off Kuwait, which had occurred three days earlier. The action occurred during Operation Earnest Will, the effort to protect Kuwaiti shipping amid the Iran–Iraq War.
Iran subsequently filed a lawsuit against the United States for reparations at the International Court of Justice. The Court ruled, by 14 votes to two, that the retaliatory attacks by the U.S. Navy against certain Iranian oil platforms in the Persian Gulf in 1987 and 1988 constituted an unlawful use of force but did not violate 1955 Treaty of Amity.[2]
^Peniston, Bradley (2006). "Photos: Operation Nimble Archer". No Higher Honor. Archived from the original on 8 July 2022. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
^Bekker, Pieter (11 November 2003). "The World Court Finds that U.S. Attacks on Iranian Oil Platforms in 1987–1988 Were Not Justifiable as Self-Defense, but the United States Did Not Violate the Applicable Treaty with Iran". American Society of International Law. Archived from the original on 5 October 2018. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
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