Iran drafts bill to block Hormuz

In response to the European Union's oil sanctions going in to effect yesterday, Iran's national security and foreign policy committee have drafted a bill allowing for the closure of the Straight. 100 out of 290 parliamentary members have already signed the bill.

"There is a bill prepared in the National Security and Foreign Policy committee of Parliament that stresses the blocking of oil tanker traffic carrying oil to countries that have sanctioned Iran," Iranian MP Ibrahim Agha-Mohammadi was quoted by Iran's parliamentary news agency as saying. "This bill has been developed as an answer to the European Union's oil sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran."

hdn.com

Iranian threats to block the waterway through which about 17 million barrels a day sailed in 2011 have grown in the past year as U.S. and European sanctions aimed at starving Tehran of funds for its nuclear program have tightened.

A heavy western naval presence in the Gulf and surrounding area is a big impediment to any attempt to block the vital shipping route through which sails most of the crude exported from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq and nearly all the gas exported from Qatar.

I hate to be impatient, what with peace even for a few more days is good.

But shut the thing already, GO ahead big powerful Iran...

I hate the actions of my government ATM, but really Iran is another bug on the windshield of US expansionism and imperialism.

Ask Iraqs Air force how they enjoyed US attention.

No big bubba, this isnt the empty threat it may be made out to be by the MSM.
There is a better than even chance that they actually CAN do this!
I know damn well i could with Irans resources...and even maybe sink a pile of US ships to boot.....
You may snicker now.................
But Iran can wipe that superior attitude off yer face whn they roll out the anti shipping mines and the missiles they have stashed along the entire length of the straits.
The Iranis practised this manouver already a short while ago.....they can do it at least for as long as it takes to raise a pile of dead tankers off the floor of the sea.....or blow them to something too low to hit with the hulls of the traffic.....
Theres a lot of ifs involved in this game....Think Skvaal torpedoes,Sunburn missiles and yakhontz anti shipping rockets....plus a whoole mess of determined speedboats with machine guns....
then theres the flying boats....they would be very effective against the tanker traffic dont you think.....?
Dont expect they attack the US navy, expect a # pile of tankers sunk instead.

If Iran were to close Hormuz, then almost the entire Western world would unite to reopen them. Every country in the world gets a huge portion of their oil through Hormuz. In 2011, Middle Eastern nations sent 16 million barrels of oil a day through the Straits. Saudi Arabia sent 6.3 million a day, Iraq and Kuwait both sent over 1 million a day.

they can close it in more than a forceful way and it would be far better to close it via extensive inspection stations for "certain tankers" going through their waters. imagine the crap storm if it takes several weeks to get cleared by their port authority, in order to go through......

reply to post by stirling


What? We don't even need our Navy to render their mines useless, we have Mermaid Man and Mine Sweeping Dolphins!

Iran cannot begin to fathom the things the US has access too. Seriously though, Iran can cause a hiccup in shipping, cause gas prices to spike, but Iran could be entirely conquered in less than 6 weeks, and I don't think they really want that. It would be suicide for them to block the Strait during an election year in the US, and with the US and European economy already faltering, and with Syria already being a headache. Giving us a reason to attack them is like dangling a steak in front of a hungry grizzly bear.

What a surprise. Oil prices are dropping and it seems TPTB want to do something to push those prices back up. What better way than to disrupt supplies. Well played PTB, well played...

reply to post by jtma508


Why bother? OPEC has flat out said that they weren't making enough profit in the past, so they were slowing down production. Why stage an incident to drive them up, when all you have to do is slow production. It barely even made the news when they announced that, and I didn't hear anything about it from anyone.

reply to post by Zaphod58


Politics. Slow production and you become the 'bad guy'. But if the Iranian Nutjob pulls some crap all eyes are on him. He becomes the 'bad guy' and the OPEC states are off the hook.

reply to post by jtma508


Being the "bad guy" has never bothered them before, so why would it now? In fact very few people are aware of the fact that there is a deal in place with Saudi Arabia where the US pays higher oil prices than other countries, and in return Saudi Arabia buys US military equipment.

Agha-Mohammadi said that 100 of Tehran's 290 members of parliament had signed the bill as of Sunday.

they need more then 146 to pass this bill

gonna take more than oil this time,,
back when i could fill a FIVE GALLON JUG WITH FIVE DOLLARS,,ok,, maybe,,
not now,
ohh a $5.00 in a 5 gallon jug,, try it sometime u will be amazed.
or u asking people too fight because there oil and gas is so cheap?,,or so expensive,, i don't get it?

Anyone seen the movie.."countdown to looking glass?" This situation is very similiar to that. Except instead of Iran shutting the straight it was Oman. Mayby our leaders need to see that docudrama.

After 10 years of heavy sanctions and the buildup of bases ringing their country, they will be ripe for the picking with little effort other than a well rehearsed millitary exercise. Any action they take on the straights against shipping will only tighten the noose around them quicker.
Attempting to confront the entire world by attacking shipping won't go very well for them. It would be like shooting rubber bands at an uncaged lion and not expecting to become its next meal.

reply to post by TinfoilTP


"by attacking shipping",,big opps.

Much needed 'Justification' for an attack, the US knew if they pushed eventually Iran would take the bait, if this Bill passes, expect much more Propaganda Attack Justification

The Sheep need justification,

reply to post by yuppa


Thanks for that yuppa. I'd forgotten all about that movie. Saw it back in the late 80's on cable. How about Newt? Was scary then and it's just as scary now. US bank crisis, sovereign defaults, middle east radicalism, the gulf... oh yea, it's all there.

This is all bluster and rhetoric, Iran remembers what happened the last time they threatened to interfere with oil shipments transiting the Persian Gulf.

Operation Prime Chance

Operation Prime Chance (August 1987 – June 1989) was a United States Special Operations Command operation intended to protect U.S.-flagged oil tankers from Iranian attack during the Iran–Iraq War.

The operation took place roughly at the same time as Operation Earnest Will (July 1987 – December 1988), the largely Navy effort to escort the tankers through the Persian Gulf. The operation was begun after the mining of the U.S.-flagged Kuwaiti oil tanker Bridgeton.

Operation Earnest Will

Operation Earnest Will (24 July 1987 – 26 September 1988) was the U.S. military protection of Kuwaiti owned tankers from Iranian attacks in 1987 and 1988, three years into the Tanker War phase of the Iran–Iraq War.[1] It was the largest naval convoy operation since World War II.

The U.S. Navy warships that escorted the tankers, part of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, were the most visible part of the operation, but U.S. Air Force AWACS radar planes provided surveillance and Army special operations helicopters hunted for possible attackers.

Operation Nimble Archer

Operation Nimble Archer was the October 19, 1987, attack on two Iranian oil platforms in the Persian Gulf by United States Navy forces.

The attack was a response to Iran's missile attack three days earlier on the MV Sea Isle City, a reflagged Kuwaiti oil tanker at anchor off Kuwait. The action occurred during Operation Earnest Will, the effort to protect Kuwaiti shipping amid the Iran-Iraq War.

Operation Praying Mantis

Operation Praying Mantis was an attack on April 18, 1988, by U.S. naval forces within Iranian territorial waters in retaliation for the Iranian mining of the Persian Gulf during the Iran–Iraq war and the subsequent damage to an American warship...

By the end of the operation, American Marines, ships and aircraft had damaged Iranian naval and intelligence facilities on two inoperable oil platforms in the Persian Gulf, and sank at least three armed Iranian speedboats, one Iranian frigate and one fast attack gunboat.

One other Iranian frigate was damaged in the battle. Sabalan was repaired in 1989 and has since been upgraded, and is still in service with the Iranian navy. In short, Iran lost one major warship and a smaller gunboat. Damage to the oil platforms was eventually repaired and they are now back in service.

The U.S. side suffered two casualties, the crew of a Marine Corps AH-1T Sea Cobra helicopter gunship. The Cobra, attached to the USS Trenton, was flying reconnaissance from the Wainwright and crashed sometime after dark about 15 miles southwest of Abu Musa island.

The bodies of Capt. Stephen C. Leslie, 30, of New Bern, N.C., and Capt. Kenneth W. Hill, 33, of Thomasville, N.C., were recovered by Navy divers in May, and the wreckage of the helicopter was raised later that month. Navy officials said it showed no sign of battle damage.

Originally posted by jtma508
reply to post by yuppa

 

Thanks for that yuppa. I'd forgotten all about that movie. Saw it back in the late 80's on cable. How about Newt? Was scary then and it's just as scary now. US bank crisis, sovereign defaults, middle east radicalism, the gulf... oh yea, it's all there.

Yes newt was scary then too.

And unfortunately i have the sneaking suspicion that Putin liked the movie as well. It would be crazy for Russia to send subs with nuclear torps though. Now Iranians prolly have a few nuke torps id bet you as part of the deal of getting those Subs. The question being...are they stupid enough to pull that out on the US fleet? Seeing as how that Irans capital would be reduced to Glass with a retaliatory strike Of equal ferocity(nice little MAD loophole there) A limited response with a low yield tac nuke. It would have to be a response to Iran firing first though so russia could not argue the US fired first.
I just hope that Iran does not block the straight because the US has said that is a war causing provocation.
I have a feeling though that Irans going to fall for the bait.

It doesn't matter if you like it or not... Iran can close their territorial waters to who ever they see fit. Sure oil prices will spike but it is their territorial waters. I am not surprised by the arrogance of some countries who think they trespass at will if a country says their waters are now closed to certain countries.

The sad fact is that tankers who want to move through the gulf would just have to take turns traveling through the waters of UAE, Oman and Saudia Arabia.