Remember the "Carter Doctrine?" (Don't laugh, he really did have one,) The Strait of Hormuz would remain open. And iran's leaders must know they can't match the U.S.Navy in the Gulf.

iran's leaders are in a bind, between their military adventures in Syria and Iraq, all the sanctions about to be reimposed, and political unrest at home. Maybe they think a standoff with the U.S. would help unite their people. That would be a pretty desperate gamble.

Onward and upward,
airforce