The war began in early 2007.

Several months earlier, an earthquake had devastated Iran. From the ashes of that disaster, a rogue Iranian general broke from the ayatollah and asserted iron-fisted control over part of the country. Most dramatically, he began charging ships a toll to guarantee safe passage through the Persian Gulf.

Washington refused to abide such a direct threat to its interests — billions of gallons of oil traveled through the Gulf each day, providing the lifeblood of the global economy. The United States immediately dispatched an aircraft carrier battle group to Iran’s shores and demanded the general’s surrender.