---
title: "The US nearly got into a war with Iran over a porta-potty"
description: "The U.S. military wanted to bomb a porta-potty in Syria. The Air Force refused."
date: "2019-02-04"
modified: "2019-02-04"
authors:
  - name: "Jeff Schogol"
    job_title: "Senior Pentagon Reporter"
    link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/jeff-schogol/"
url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/porta-potty-conflict/"
categories:
  - "Analysis"
  - "Around the World"
  - "Iran"
  - "News"
  - "United States"
tags:
  - "central command"
---

# The US nearly got into a war with Iran over a porta-potty

![](<https://taskandpurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/19145185-1.jpg>)

War with Iran was narrowly averted in May 2017 when the Air Force refused to bomb a truck carrying a porta-potty that was headed toward Iranian-backed forces in Syria.

[Foreign Policy's Lara Seligman has the scoop](<https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/02/04/how-u-s-mission-creep-in-syria-and-iraq-could-trigger-war-with-iran/>) about when the s\*\*t came close to hitting the fan after the U.S.-led coalition in Syria ordered the toilet to be annihilated.

The incident happened near a U.S. military outpost in al-Tanf, Syria, where pro-regime forces believed to be affiliated with Iran or Hezbollah established their own base, according to Foreign Policy, which cited an unnamed defense official. The U.S-led coalition bombed the site and then told the Russians that the coalition would use military force to prevent the pro-regime forces from moving closer to al-Tanf or bringing in supplies.

On May 19, 2017, U.S. forces ordered an airstrike on a truck that was bringing a porta-potty to the pro-regime outpost, but the Air Force refused because it did not believe the strike was a lawful order and the notion that the porta-potty posed a threat was "ludicrous," the defense official told Foreign Policy.

A spokesman for U.S. Central Command refused to comment on the matter when contacted by Task & Purpose. No further information about the great crapper caper was immediately available on Monday.

### SEE ALSO: No, US And Russian Troops Are Not Shooting At Each Other In Syria, US Official Clarifies

### WATCH NEXT: Russian Mercenaries Describe Their Defeat In Syria

## Author
Jeff Schogol is the senior Pentagon reporter for Task & Purpose. He reports on both the Defense Department as a whole as well as individual services, covering a variety of topics that include personnel, policy, military justice, deployments, and technology.

### Author social links  
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