Iran says it will close Strait of Hormuz if crude exports blocked

Iran says it will close Strait of Hormuz if crude exports blocked

Tehran’s leadership has decided to order a blockade of the strategic Strait of Hormuz if the country’s oil exports are blocked, a senior Revolutionary Guard Commander said as reported by Iranian press.

­The strategic decision was made by Iran's top authorities, Ali Ashraf Nouri said, as cited by the Iranian Khorasan daily.

"The supreme authorities … have insisted that if enemies block the export of our oil, we won't allow a drop of oil to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. This is the strategy of the Islamic Republic in countering such threats," Nouri said.

Well this is fun... NOT.

US&UK threaten to respond with military action if #Iran moves to close #Hormuz

Report: UK and US Navy destroyer will be deployed near Iranian waters days before oil embargo imposed to prevent #Hormuz closure.

#Iran threatens to close #Hormuz as early as this month if oil exports blocked.

Report: Iran begins uranium enrichment at underground site

As for a date :
EU Iran Oil Sanctions Likely to Be Phased In Over Time, Official Says

EU foreign ministers are likely to agree to block Iranian oil imports at a meeting in Brussels on Jan. 30, and working groups are negotiating the details of how the embargo will be imposed, said the official, who declined to be identified because the talks are private.

So if Iranian exports to Europe are blocked, Iran says they will block the Strait... me thinks this is BS... but you never know.

Please Iran, do the sane thing, don't give the warmongers an excuse to start another war!

Update : SocGen Lays It Out: "EU Iran Embargo: Brent $125-150. Straits Of Hormuz Shut: $150-200"

December 31/January 1 – The US responsibility for securing Iraqi airspace formally ended, and Iraq’s responsibility for its own airspace formally began. Iraq has no effective air force. Therefore, the shortest route for Israeli aircraft to attack Iran’s nuclear sites - straight through
Iraq – is available.
January 30 - EU foreign ministers meeting: possible announcement of EU embargo on imports of crude from Iran
February – Iran’s next announced naval exercises in the Persian Gulf March – Iranian elections
June 30 – new US sanctions on the Central Bank of Iran take effect.
September – According to Ehud Barak, the Israeli Defense Minister, after September, a successful military attack on Iran’s nuclear sites will no longer be possible, because Iran will widen the redundancy of its facilities and spread them out over more sites, including the impenetrable site at Fordow (near Qom), which is located inside a mountain.
November – US elections
December – According to Leon Panetta, US Secretary of Defense (and former Director of the CIA), Iran could have a nuclear weapon capability by the end of 2012.

reply to post by Vitchilo


I don't agree with the West stance on this at all, but, why provoke the bully? To make them attack you so the rest of the world can see them for what they are? I understand why they would do this, and who wouldn't react the same way? You cut me off from going to make money, but then you want to use a shortcut through my yard?

reply to post by Vitchilo

Please Iran, do the sane thing, don't give the warmongers an excuse to start another war!

But it is like make block some one mouth and ask him not to move. IMO.

It is like cutting some ones vessel and asking him to settle down.

no supper for Iran

reply to post by hmdphantom

But it is like make block some one mouth and ask him not to move. IMO.

Well they can still sell oil to China.

It is like cutting some ones vessel and asking him to settle down.

And yeah it's like that, but come on, there's millions of (middle-eastern) lives at stakes here.

Europe may be waiting for Libya's oil to reach max production in July. Which would make sense for them to phase in sanctions against Iran until then.

Abovetopsecret.com

Originally posted by Vitchilo
reply to post by hmdphantom

 

But it is like make block some one mouth and ask him not to move. IMO.

Well they can still sell oil to China.

It is like cutting some ones vessel and asking him to settle down.

And yeah it's like that, but come on, there's millions of lives at stakes here.

edit on 8-1-2012 by Vitchilo because: (no reason given)

The last time the US wanted to end a war to stop "millions of lives from being lost" was dropping the bomb on Japan, want to bet that Israel will do the same to Iran for the US? 10,000 ATS points?

reply to post by Vitchilo

Well they can still sell oil to China.

Then China will buy it 0.5 dollars a barrel because there is no other costumer.

And yeah it's like that, but come on, there's million of lives at stakes here.

I don't take it seriously. I think that is a continuation of the old argument in recent months.

reply to post by hmdphantom

Then China will buy it 0.5 dollars a barrel because there is no other costumer.

Well yeah... that's kind of a bummer.

I don't take it seriously. I think that is a continuation of the old argument in recent months.

So you don't think a war against Iran is gonna end up with million deads in the middle-east (mainly Iran) when this is all over?

I wasn't talking about the BS argument that ``Iran will nuke Israel if they got the chance``...

I should have specified... million of IRANIANS lives at stake.

reply to post by Vitchilo



Don't get me wrong. I meant , Iran is being threatened for months and it is very loose to give the attack a credit.

You know it better that I do care about Iranian lives here , but look at the whole picture.

EU threatens to impose sanctions against Iran , US and Israel threaten to attack Iran for months (or for years).

At last , Iran says it will close the strait.

Here is a source confirming the twitter link about a Western response:

The United States will respond if Iran tries to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz at the entrance to the Gulf, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta warned Sunday, saying his country will still have the strongest army in the world despite a recent decision to slash military spending.

“We made very clear that the United States will not tolerate the blocking of the Straits of Hormuz,” Panetta told CBS television. “That’s another red line for us and that we will respond to them.”


english.alarabiya.net...

There is a whole lot of back and forth rhetoric lately, even more than usual.