BATTLE STATIONS, INCOMING POTUS TWEET! After more than three years dealing with an impulsive commander in chief who relies on his gut, the Pentagon knows the drill well. When President Trump fires off an unexpected tweet that sounds like an order, it’s time to salute smartly while marching in place.

So it was with yesterday’s Trump tweet seeming to authorize a shoot-on-sight policy for Iranian patrol boats, which lately have been speeding around U.S. warships in the Persian Gulf in an aggressive and provocative manner.