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Naval thrills: Iran flexes muscles at world’s key oil transit channel
Published: 24 December, 2011, 20:29
Edited: 25 December, 2011, 11:29
AFP Photo / Hamed Jafarnejad / Fars News / Fars News
Iran is starting ten-day naval exercises in one of the world’s busiest oil passageways – the Strait of Hormuz. These actions have raised fears that the Strait might shut down, disrupting oil transit worldwide.
The exercises, dubbed “Velayat-e 90”, will take place over a wide area from the Strait of Hormuz to the Gulf of Aden and will involve new ground-to-sea missile systems and different classes of submarines, such as the Tareq and the Ghander.
Iranian Navy commander Habibollah Sayyari said the drill would not cause the Strait of Hormuz to shut down or the disruption of oil transit. However, he was also quoted by the semi-official ILNA news agency as saying: “The enforcement of the decision to close off the Strait of Hormuz is certainly within Iran’s armed forces’ capability, but such a decision should be made by the country’s top authorities”.
Earlier this month, Iranian MP Parviz Sorouri said Iran was planning to practice its ability to close the Strait of Hormuz. However, the Islamic Republic’s Foreign Ministry later denied that shutting down the Strait was on the agenda.
The somewhat ambiguous statements have raised fears of a possible shutdown of the Strait – an option the West suspects Iran may exercise if the US and its allies were to attack the country over suspicions of developing nuclear military capabilities.
Last month the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada announced a new series of sanctions against Iran’s energy and financial sectors. The EU is also considering a ban on Iranian oil imports. The United States also hasn’t ruled out the possibility of military force against Iran if diplomacy and sanctions fail to curb its alleged nuclear program.
About eight Middle Eastern oil-exporting countries use the Strait of Hormuz. It handled some 33% of all seaborne traded oil in 2009, and 17% of all oil traded worldwide. An average, 15.5 million barrels of oil passed through the strait in 2009, according to the US Energy Information Administration.
The shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz could therefore bring about a global disruption of oil transit, causing a hike in oil prices that could potentially exacerbate the economic woes of oil consumers worldwide.
24.12.2011, 19:16
1 comment
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3 comments
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MikeNZ typical russian racist, racism in russia is getting so out of hand, I hope russian people stop the racism. Not COOL!
MikeNZ
December 26, 2011, 01:45
Indians have been breeding like rats - and continue to breed like rats - that they can no longer feed themselves!
India will do nothing, because if she does, food supplies will be disrupted.
Then the rats will only be able to eat each other.
Alex McShera I think you’ve got all in backward! First Arab nationalism is dead today. It is dead because most of the great Arab leaders have been eliminated one by one by the U.S and the British/Israel. Today as a result, Arabs are welling to wage war on Iran alongside Israel, the U.S and the UK. This shows that the entire Arab states- with exception of Syria-and Sudan- are today subservient to the agendas of the U.S/Israel/the UK. Iran is of course a winner here. However, Iran has no need and will not start a war of aggression against the Arabs. Instead, Iran will take a defensive posture. In that sense Iran is similar to Russia: it believes the strategy of drawing the enemy in and then destroy him. Only today it has been reported little Qatar is trying to overthrow Saudi Arabia! If this is true we know the Saudis are resisting the West war on Iran.
Don't forget that Saddam was helped to power by the US. At the same time they provided weapons to Iran in the war started by Saddam in the 80's, the US also provided Iraq with the Chemical weapons to use on Iran. The UK had a hand in it as well, they built a Petro-Chemical plant in Iraq for Saddam so he could convert them. Russia also sold weapons to Saddam, most Iraqi weapons were Soviet made. The Chemical Weapons provided are the same ones they so desperately wanted back during the 90's and after 9/11. A lot of American, Uk and others kids died or were wounded, as well as innocent civilians in Iraq to cover that up!
Lets face it! There are lots of factions in the Mid east who want influence. It doesn't help that the West are playing games there too!