Iran threatens to cut off oil exports if sanctions imposed over nuclear activity

Okay...maybe the Iranian leadership really does want to bring about the Islamic version of Armageddon.

If they can't manage to goad the West into attacking their nuclear facilities directly as a result of their (alleged) bomb making activities...they may do the one thing that would just about guarantee they would make an enemy of just about every oil importing country in the world.

The U.S. and other western nations would be forced to take military action to keep the Strait open...and Iran knows it.

Iran threatened on Tuesday to stop the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz if foreign sanctions were imposed on its crude exports over its nuclear ambitions, a move that could trigger military conflict with economies dependent on Gulf oil.

“If they [the West] impose sanctions on Iran’s oil exports, then even one drop of oil cannot flow from the Strait of Hormuz...Our enemies will give up on their plots against Iran only if we give them a firm and strong lesson” the official Iranian news agency IRNA quoted Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi as saying.

Well, I am pretty sure somebody would get schooled...

“To me, if Iran did that it would be a suicidal act by the regime. Even its friends would be its enemies,” said Phil Flynn, analyst at PFG Best Research in Chicago.

I would say that sums it up pretty well...


news.nationalpost.com...

Apparently there is another active thread on this subject in Breaking Alternate News.

Not sure why this qualifies as "alternate news", but there you go...

www.abovetopsecret.com...

So...have at it over there

reply to post by mobiusmale

Iran threatened on Tuesday to stop the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz if foreign sanctions were imposed on its crude exports over its nuclear ambitions, a move that could trigger military conflict with economies dependent on Gulf oil.

Not could, WILL.

“If they [the West] impose sanctions on Iran’s oil exports, then even one drop of oil cannot flow from the Strait of Hormuz...Our enemies will give up on their plots against Iran only if we give them a firm and strong lesson” the official Iranian news agency IRNA quoted Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi as saying.

Right. If you do that, China will be the ones invading you.

No way Iran does that unless the US/Israel starts bombing Iran.

reply to post by mobiusmale


Mahmoud Ahmadinejad believes that the human race is in it's end times. He publicly admitted that at least as far back as 2005 when he became Iran's President.

USA imposes economic sanctions on Iran, Iran imposes economic sanctions on oil. Seems fair to me. You reap what you sow, stop complaining USA, man up!

Originally posted by THE_PROFESSIONAL
USA imposes economic sanctions on Iran, Iran imposes economic sanctions on oil. Seems fair to me. You reap what you sow, stop complaining USA, man up!

The point is, if they were to try to follow through on this threat...they would hand the West the premise for a large scale military intervention.

It would not be a case of "USA, man up"...it would be a case of "Iran, man down..."

And, if Iran then decided to up the anti with strikes against American and European targets...it would be the end of their regime.

reply to post by mobiusmale


You are absolutely correct. They can scream all the threats they want but you stop oil shipments or mess with shipping and Iran will be hammered. Split Infinity

Originally posted by THE_PROFESSIONAL
USA imposes economic sanctions on Iran, Iran imposes economic sanctions on oil. Seems fair to me. You reap what you sow, stop complaining USA, man up!

Blocking the flow of oil IS NOT the same as economic sanctions. It's disrupting trade and commerce in preventing navigation across the board. That's an act of war. Given the situation in Iran they may want us to execute a military response so the nuts in power can rally the people against the big bad great satan, and a war will certainly do that. They are engaged in a full scale "dress rehearsal" navel exercise as I speak, I mean post (see PlanetData.org sorry cant provide a link) If one wish's to provide a rather old "trick" to starting an aggression, doing so as an exercise is old news.

I worry that if they don't think they have any other options, and act like their on drugs or are lunatic religious fanatics, (how can one tell the difference sometimes?) and very desperate, they may do something very very stupid.

China depends on Iranian oil far more than the US does.

BEIJING -- China's dependence on Iranian oil could deter it from backing tougher sanctions on Iran, though Beijing supports containing nuclear proliferation as part of a broader push to raise its international diplomatic stance.

China's trade with the U.S., at $150 billion in the first seven months of this year, dwarfs its $12 billion trade with Iran over the same period. But China is the world's second-biggest oil consumer after the U.S., and the Persian Gulf country is one of Beijing's biggest suppliers. Chinese imports of Iranian crude grew to 13 million metric tons in the first half, about 15% of China's total, and up 22% from a year earlier, according to government data.

online.wsj.com...

The article is two years old but I think, still applies.

China won't allow Iran to cut off oil exports. Ergo; China is going to pressure the US and other nations to ease up on the sanctions imposed.
Since our Coward-in-chief has no spine, it'll be a done deal before the ink is dry.

My two ameros.

reply to post by arbiture


Economic sanctions are also an act of war. The USA has already declared war on Iran, iran has every right to cut the straits.

reply to post by SplitInfinity


Iran wont be hammered, the USA cant even cant even make unhackable drone technology to fly over iran, how do yo expect them to launch a full scale assault..?

Originally posted by THE_PROFESSIONAL
reply to post by arbiture

 

Economic sanctions are also an act of war. The USA has already declared war on Iran, iran has every right to cut the straits.

I suppose, from the Iranian perspective, they might feel that the sanctions imposed on them are akin to an act of war. In fact, though, they are punishments short of war meted out by the international community for perceived wrongs they had committed prior to sanctions being imposed.

Be that as it may...while Iran certainly does not have the legal right to close down an international waterway, they certainly can expect to suffer major consequences if they chose to do so...and especially so, if they choose to try to close the Strait of Hormuz.

The U.S does not import crude from Iran, neither does Europe really so stopping Iranian crude exports is a bit of an empty threat.

People should be buying Brent or Russian Ural crude by the way, prices are going up regardless, easy to make a quick buck.

Originally posted by THE_PROFESSIONAL
reply to post by SplitInfinity

 

Iran wont be hammered, the USA cant even cant even make unhackable drone technology to fly over iran, how do yo expect them to launch a full scale assault..?

Okay...I get it. We are just in "troll-mode" today...trying to get responses out of people.

Yes, you are right. America has no offensive military capabilities at all. They could not possibly launch any kind of an assault on mighty Iran...let alone inflict any serious damage on them.

Economic sanctions are also an act of war. The USA has already declared war on Iran, iran has every right to cut the straits.

reply to post by THE_PROFESSIONAL


No it doesnt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE all export crude through the Straight of Hormuz, why does Iran have any right to interfere with there exports and wreak economic havoc on nations that have little to do with Irans conflict with the U.S?

I dont get that at all.

Originally posted by Ixtab
The U.S does not import crude from Iran, neither does Europe really so stopping Iranian crude exports is a bit of an empty threat.

People should be buying Brent or Russian Ural crude by the way, prices are going up regardless, easy to make a quick buck.

edit on 28-12-2011 by Ixtab because: (no reason given)

Yes, true.

But the complicating factor is that Iran is threatening to stop all oil shipments through the Strait...not just those emanating from Iran.

That would be a problem.

reply to post by mobiusmale


Ah well, then thats just nonesense, Saudi would just go to war with Iran. Maybe thats what China is trying to do, would be interesting to see which proxy state wins, Iran backed by China, Saudi backed by America. Of course given the state of affairs in the middle east right now, what with Iraq, something like that would pretty much be the straw the broke the camels back. Cant really see how in times of such economic hardship strangling the worlds oil supplies would be of any great benefit to anyone.

I do seem to remember Saudi received some ridiculously expensive weapon deals not too long ago both from Britain and the U.S, wonder what they are readying for though.

Originally posted by THE_PROFESSIONAL
reply to post by arbiture

 

Economic sanctions are also an act of war. The USA has already declared war on Iran, iran has every right to cut the straits.

No, they don't. Cutting the straits cuts off ALL commerce, and though most nations who use the straits for many forms of trade including even those countries that danced on 9/11 in the streets. They may damn well do it just TO start a war. As a decrepit and failed state w/a surprisingly progressive populace, well educated, but suppressed and beaten down since 1978-79 by an insidious vicious fanciest state, in flowing religious garb. Makes me sick for anyone to have to live such a nightmare. I spent a little w/in the USSR sphere (very little but about two weeks that felt like two years) before the wall fell. To be so scared of TPTB, trusting no one. Where friends can be suspect, not always by "choice" but sometimes. Iran is at least as bad in many ways as Stalin, and consider technology is so much more advanced now to monitor and control people. Christ, thats no way to live.

Never-the-less I don't in any way want a war w/Iran. I don't want to give the bastard government any excuse to hammer their greatest victims, their own people. And guess what? Iran is now engaged in full scale naval "exercises". Thats a very old trick, use the cover of an exercise to start a war. They can take out oil platforms, pipelines, or blow up a fully laden natural gas super tanker. That would be the yield of a small nuke. If I sound really worried I am. (check out the "PlanetData". As always sorry I can't attach a link, good broad based world wide OS intelligence/news site. Unlike Stratfor.com as far as I've heard, PD hasn't been hacked yet...)

As far as "already declaring war" when /if we do, you'll know. Covert action? Sure, been doing that a long time and we (US) and maybe 6-8 other countries have also been targeted as well. I prefer selective attacks to mass bombing or even just screwing w/a nations infrastructure. EVERYTHING has to replaced... Makes everyone miserable. So my friend I believe your seriously wrong. And honestly I'd like to be wrong in some areas as well.

Originally posted by mobiusmale

Originally posted by THE_PROFESSIONAL
reply to post by arbiture

 

Economic sanctions are also an act of war. The USA has already declared war on Iran, iran has every right to cut the straits.

I suppose, from the Iranian perspective, they might feel that the sanctions imposed on them are akin to an act of war. In fact, though, they are punishments short of war meted out by the international community for perceived wrongs they had committed prior to sanctions being imposed.

Be that as it may...while Iran certainly does not have the legal right to close down an international waterway, they certainly can expect to suffer major consequences if they chose to do so...and especially so, if they choose to try to close the Strait of Hormuz.

What would you prefer, under the circumstances? Iran has been THE major funder of Hamas. Iran has funded and been openly engaged in open acts of terror against not only the US, but Europe, and multiple Gulf nations "they don't like". Also countries like Turkey, of course Israel. And their "Revolutionary Guard", and numerous losel'y associated secret and sun dry "religious police"? They make the former Shah of Iran's very brutal secret police, the Savat, look like the god damn Auto Club. They, Iran pay money to suicide bomber families (if any are left after the fact) to in effect to do Iran's dirty work in effect be dupes for them. I consider that not only sickening but cowardly. I have no doubt Israel would would have dealt with them, though I cant prove it, if the US and Europe, in particular the US had not held them back ( if Israel gets spooked enough, feels an imminent threat, nothing anyone does or says will stop Israel from launching a full scale attack). And Israel does have nukes you know, a so called "open secret" since sometime in the 1960's.

Just today I read a report in the OS media that Ackmadin...* whatever, cant spell his name, has mentioned he's a guy who thinks that the only way to "cleanse" the world is WW-3, Just in case you thought only the fanatical nut jobs were delusional ultra-fundamentalist so called "Muslims Christians, and a few crazy, extreme radical Jews". The ones who think the Messiah will only come when the Mosque built.on the Dome of the Rock is destroyed, and a new Temple of David&Solomon built on it's rubble. *[And the Mullahs of Iran are MORE crazy then whats his name, he's considered more liberal!]

The only "good" news in this insanity is the people of Iran who have lived in this fun house for more then 30 years are smart, reasonably well educated and sick of this crap. In a major way. And that could be the major reason it seems the lunatics who are TPTB seem to be on a bad '___'&Crank trip (don't ask, its not nice anyway you look at it)

Originally posted by THE_PROFESSIONAL
USA imposes economic sanctions on Iran, Iran imposes economic sanctions on oil. Seems fair to me. You reap what you sow, stop complaining USA, man up!

Do you even have a clue to why we are placing economic sanctions on Iran? From your post I would think not.

Iran signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. A country that signs this treaty can purchase energy producing nuclear power as well as purchase nuclear fuel. What they cannot do is sell this tech or fuel and cannot produce Nuclear Weapons.

Iran also must allow inspectors into all nuclear sites and all sites must not be secret. Iran has broken just about every rule to this treaty it signed and is well close to a bomb.

The U.S. will not tollerate an Iranian Nuclear Bomb and the Iranians could very easily just allow inspectors in and no sanctions would be levied...they refuse and try to buy time so that they can complete their work on Bomb Building.

Split Infinity