Iranian Submarines' Ambush for US Aircraft Carriers in Persian Gulf

[Akubra]

We have been shown images of what is claimed to be the remains of the torpedo that sunk the ROK ship.  If it was a mine we would then have to accept that maybe the DPRK were not responsible.  We would have to wonder at the information we are fed and why attempts are being made to frame the DPRK with false evidence.

No one claims the Iranians could 'hold sway' in the Persian Gulf, except themselves, the question is do they pose any threat?

If we want to hold fast to the theory that the DPRK sunk the ROK ship and we know that Iran and North Korea trade in arms we must then accept that Iran likely has some effective capacity in this regard.

[LC EFA]

Threat ?

They might be able to launch at most a couple of weapons at the USN (or - given it's Iran - more likely some civilian shipping). They then have to pray to their moongod that not only are the countermeasures that the USN have be ineffective but that they can survive the results of a very pissed off, very well equipped and very well trained navy with lots of recent operational experience.

That's just in the immediate few hours following their actions. What would come on land and at sea after would not be good for Iran.

So is there a "threat" - yes. It's very small and very empty.

[DumbAss Tanker]

The scenario surrounding the loss of the ROK boat leans toward it falling victim to a mine. Sure, it's possible that it may have been sniped with something like the Russian Vyuga RPK-2 antisubmarine torpedo that sports a range of 40 km but very unlikely. We will never know for sure but a mine is the most plausible culprit.

Influence-homing torpedos (Mainly acoustic) can have a very long range and you don't have to be a U-Boat ace to hit a ship with them, either, since they are self-guiding they can be fired from miles away.  With torpedo powerplants, other things being equal, it's all speed vs. range, and range is a lot more important than speed for a homing torp. 

It is of course possible to have what effectively a homing torpedo released from a mine-like carrier moored on the sea floor, which releases the torp when an acoustic or magnetic influence is detected, there was even a classic Golden-Age SF short story written about such a proto-cybernetic system long before the technology to actually make one existed.  No idea whether the Norks might have, or have been testing, anything of the sort, of course.

[Dont try to run]

Yeah, color me a bit skeptical.  And you ARE aware that torpedoes can be launched by surface ships and aircraft as well, and that mines also do very similar damage to torpedoes, yes?

As I recall they recovered the ass end of a NK torpedo at the scene.
I have no doubt out SNN's and Air will identify and eliminate the large Iranian boats long before they even get withing even missile firing range of one of our Navy ships, but they could easily start off by torpedoing merchant tanker hulls.
It's the little subs that I worry about. The Russians had some with ******* tracks on them that literally crawled across the bottom into Swedish harbors. They found the treadmarks on the sea floor. Remember that? They were never found and swam back to their motherboat without detection.
Those little mini subs or small caostal defense boats they make, equipped with efficient batteries and good scrubbers, could siddle up against a wreck on the bottom like the chinese did with that one that came up in the middle of the Carrier Group. There are wrecks all over waters like the PG. many are small, but easily capable of serving as camoflage for a small boat or minisub crewed by suicidal Revolutionary Guard.