A fierce naval battle 35 years ago shows how destructive another US showdown with Iran could get

• The US military is sending forces to the Persian Gulf in response to Iran's seizure of oil tankers.
• The deployments have been compared to a US operation in 1987-1988 to defend tankers from Iranian attacks.
• Today, however, Iran fields a much different military, and the situation in the Gulf has changed, experts say.

Tensions are rising in the Persian Gulf, where the US is deploying additional air and naval forces to deter Iranian seizures of commercial tanker ships.