Tanker War in the Gulf: Operation Earnest Will, Diplomacy and Seapower in Practice
Tom Duffy
Jan 2026 · Casemate
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248
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About this ebook
Offers a comprehensive account of Operation Earnest Will, analyzing its success as a limited naval war and its lasting lessons for modern military strategy. The past four decades have seen a number of US military interventions in the Middle East, but only one of them is retrospectively seen as a success: Operation Earnest Will, the escort of Kuwaiti tankers through the Persian Gulf in 1987 and 1988. As an officer who participated in this operation who then served in the region as a diplomat, Tom Duffy offers a unique perspective on Earnest Will. He argues that the fact that Earnest Will was a limited war and that it was fought with navies was key to its success. Forty years later, this operation remains relevant to security policy, especially with regard to a potential conflict with China. This new and descriptive account discusses every aspect of the operation, including the role of other navies in the Gulf at the time—especially the Royal Navy, ships operating in conjunction with the Western European Union, and the Soviet navy. Relevant strategic and political elements are covered, such as parallel activities in the UN Security Council and the role of UN Security Council Resolutions in ending the war.? Considering the short-, medium-, and long-term impacts of Operation Earnest Will, Duffy explains how this maritime, limited war option illustrates key concepts from classical strategic thinkers, and why it is a demonstrably effective way to advance political goals and an example to keep in mind when facing future challenges, both in the Middle East as well as East Asia.
Offers a comprehensive account of Operation Earnest Will, analyzing its success as a limited naval war and its lasting lessons for modern military strategy. The past four decades have seen a number of US military interventions in the Middle East, but only one of them is retrospectively seen as a ...
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About the author
Tom Duffy is a retired American diplomat and naval officer. His interests are naval history and maritime strategy. Tom’s assignments over his 38-year overall career with the US Government included service aboard USS Cochrane (DDG-21) during the Tanker War and as a maritime strategist in the Pentagon with the US Navy’s Strategic Concepts Group (OP-603). He retired from the US Navy Reserve as a Commander. After joining the US Foreign Service, he served primarily in the Middle East, including as the first State Department Foreign Policy Advisor (POLAD) with the US Fifth Fleet in Manama, Bahrain and as US Consul General in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Tom spent ten years working on United Nations affairs: four in the Security Council in New York; three running the office overseeing Security Council affairs at the State Department, and three as the US representative to the UN Food Security Agencies in Rome. He also spent two tours teaching national security strategy at the US National War College. Tom holds a BA in Government from Notre Dame and an MA in War Studies from King’s College, London. He is a graduate of the US Naval War College and was elected an Associate of King’s College London.
Tom Duffy is a retired American diplomat and naval officer. His interests are naval history and maritime strategy. Tom’s assignments over his 38-year overall career with the US Government included service aboard USS Cochrane (DDG-21) during the Tanker War and as a maritime strategist in the Penta...
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