Dire straits:

Iran played a reckless and foolish game in the Strait of Hormuz this week that could have spun lethally out of control. Iranian officials played down Sunday’s incident in the narrow opening to the Persian Gulf, insisting that the encounter was a “routine” attempt by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to identify American warships. The American version hardly sounds routine: five Iranian speedboats charging within striking distance of the United States Navy warships in international waters, radioed warnings that the American ships would explode.

On Tuesday, the Pentagon released a recording of the interchange that appears to substantiate Washington’s narrative. It is not clear what game the Iranians were playing or even who was giving the orders. President Bush’s refusal to engage Iran diplomatically makes it even harder for US officials to deconstruct Iran’s motives and increases the risk of future miscalculation.

Iran must also get the message about the risk of future provocations. As the 2000 attack by Al Qaeda on the Navy destroyer Cole proved, US forces must be vigilant about defending themselves. Feints by Iran, or anyone else, to bait America can go dangerously awry. At a minimum, the administration should use this incident to engage Iran in formal talks on conduct in the strait.