There are numbers of ways to send a message. A low level flyby at Mach 1.1 from a couple of F-15's would send a nice message.

What message? Iran knows that the U.S. could easily sink the Behshad. It's a slow vessel in international waters with virtually no defensive capability. And it's not like we haven't sent them the message that we want them to stop supporting the Houthis. There's no reason to think they'd change their tactics based on a flyby.

This is all just magical thinking: that there's some costless, easy thing we could do that would make Iran stop pursuing its interests in the region. The Behshad goes into the Red Sea not because we lack the military power to sink it, and not because Iran is unaware that the U.S. is very upset that they're doing it. It's because there are enormous consequences to sinking a vessel in international waters, and Iran knows that its not in the US' interests to trigger those consequences.

US Policy FAQ

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