Reagan orders U.S. Navy to escort Kuwaiti tankers through Persian Gulf, beginning Iran confrontations

President Ronald Reagan orders the U.S. Navy to escort Kuwaiti oil tankers through the Persian Gulf, reflagging them under American registry to protect against Iranian attacks during the Iran-Iraq War. Over the following months, U.S. and Iranian naval forces exchange fire on multiple occasions. Reagan notifies Congress of the operation but does not invoke the War Powers Resolution, arguing the situation does not constitute "hostilities" under the law. Congress debates but does not formally authorize the escort mission. The operation establishes a durable precedent: the executive branch can conduct sustained military operations in or near Iran while arguing legal definitions of "hostilities" exempt the action from War Powers constraints.