In 1984, the war amongst Iraq and Iran had extended to incorporate air assaults against oil tankers and vendor delivery of neighboring nations, some of whom were giving guide to Iraq by transportation Iraqi oil. The Flight 655 occurrence happened a year after the Iraqi Air Force assault on the U.S. Naval force guided-rocket frigate USS Stark on 17 May 1987, which executed 37 American mariners. U.S. maritime powers had likewise traded gunfire with Iranian gunboats in late 1987, and the U.S. Naval force guided-rocket frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts had struck an Iranian ocean mine in April 1988. Two months previously the episode the US had occupied with Operation Praying Mantis, bringing about the sinking of the Iranian frigate Sahand. Pressures were thusly high in the Strait of Hormuz at the season of the episode with Flight 655.

In light of the example of assaults on transportation, the US Joint Chiefs of Staff issued a NOTAM on 8 September 1987 cautioning all Persian Gulf nations that non military personnel air ship must screen 121.5 MHz VHF otherwise known as the International Air Distress [IAD] recurrence, or 234.0 MHz UHF otherwise known as the Military Air Distress [MAD] recurrence, and be set up to recognize themselves to US Navy ships and express their intentions.[14] …show more content…
extended the extent of its naval force's insurance to all inviting impartial delivering in the Persian Gulf outside pronounced prohibition zones, setting the phase for the shoot-down incident.[2] At about a similar time, USS Vincennes was hurried to the zone without prior warning, because of abnormal state choices, to make up for the absence of AWACS scope, which was hampering U.S. checking of the southern Persian Gulf. Vincennes, fitted with the then-new Aegis Combat System and under the charge of Captain William C. Rogers III,[2] withdrew San Diego on 25 April 1988 and touched base in Bahrain on 29 May