Operation Prime Chance
| Operation Prime Chance | |
|---|---|
| Part of the Iran–Iraq War and the Tanker War | |
A U.S. Navy crewman stands atop the cabin of a PB Mark III patrol boat tied up to the oil rig service barge Wimbrown VII in the northern Persian Gulf. From lower to upper right, the barge is armed with a .50-caliber M2 machine gun, an 81 mm Mark 2 mortar, and a 40 mm Mk 19 grenade launcher. | |
| Location | |
| Planned by | United States Special Operations Command |
| Date | August 1987 – June 1989 |
| Outcome | Operational success |
| Casualties | 5 Iranian killed, 26 Iranian captured (during raid on Iran Ajr only) Other parts of the operation are not included in this number |
Operation Prime Chance (August 1987 – June 1989) was a United States Special Operations Command operation intended to protect U.S.-flagged oil tankers from Iranian attack during the Iran–Iraq War. The operation took place roughly at the same time as Operation Earnest Will (July 1987 – September 1988), the largely naval effort to escort the tankers through the Persian Gulf. The operation was begun after the mining of the U.S.-flagged Kuwaiti oil tanker Bridgeton.