Iran has long called America "The Great Satan" -- but now its war of words has stepped up to military brinkmanship.
Iran is sending warships to the Gulf of Mexico to provoke the United States and its allies.
It's being called "the new cold war" – but whatever the description, the latest move teeters on inviting the exchange of firepower.
Stunts in international waters have long been part of the geopolitical narrative. But observers say that with Iran, it's different.
UT political science professor Allen Saxe says it's not just the enchroachment, but the additional risk beyond it.
Saxe tells Newsradio 740 KTRH that U.S.-Iran relations are complicated by a deal from the Obama administration that unblocked Iranian assets -- an agreement president trump has called a disaster and would rather stop.
Saxe says Iran was stung by President Trump’s tougher words once his administration took power.
“They don’t like that,” he said.
Saxe says some analysts look at iran's nuclear ambitions and wonder how far it might go against its enemies.