Mike Curtiss (25
Jan 2012)
"Now, the End Begins"
Tensions In Iran At Boiling Point As Britian,
France and US Send Warships Through Strait of Hormuz
JAN 23RD
Posted by NTEB News Desk in End Times
Iran has sworn that they would close the Strait of Hormuz if a).
Any countries warships entered the Strait of Hormuz, and b). if
the EU hit them with oil sanctions. Now BOTH those things have
happened, and Iran says that they will “defintitely close the
Strait”.
Britain, America and France delivered a pointed signal to Iran,
sending six warships led by a 100,000 ton aircraft carrier
through the highly sensitive waters of the Strait of Hormuz.
From RT.com: Tensions in the Gulf could reach a breaking point
as a senior Iranian official said Iran would “definitely” close
the Strait of Hormuz if an EU oil embargo disrupted the export
of crude oil, the semi-official Fars news agency reports.
The announcement came in response to a decision by the European
Union on Monday to impose an oil embargo on Iran over the
country’s alleged nuclear weapons program. “The pressure
of sanctions is designed to try and make sure that Iran takes
seriously our request to come to the table,” EU foreign policy
chief Catherine Ashton said.
However, with Washington’s decision to deploy a second carrier
strike group in the Gulf, the EU’s attempt to pressure Iran
economically could greatly increase the likelihood of all-out
war in the region. source – RT.com
The Strait of Hormuz is the vital link between the Persian Gulf
and the Gulf of Oman. It is also one of the most strategic
chokepoints in the world when it comes to oil transit. Britain,
America and France delivered a pointed signal to Iran, sending
six warships led by a 100,000 ton aircraft carrier through the
highly sensitive waters of the Strait of Hormuz.
The USS Abraham Lincoln has entered the Strait of Hormuz
From Telegraph UK: This deployment defied explicit Iranian
threats to close the waterway. It coincided with an escalation
in the West’s confrontation with Iran over the country’s nuclear
ambitions.
European Union foreign ministers are today expected to announce
an embargo on Iranian oil exports, amounting to the most
significant package of sanctions yet agreed. They are also
likely to impose a partial freeze on assets held by the Iranian
Central Bank in the EU.
Tehran has threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz in
retaliation. Tankers carrying 17 million barrels of oil pass
through this waterway every day, accounting for 35 per cent of
the world’s seaborne crude shipments. At its narrowest point,
located between Iran and Oman, the Strait is only 21 miles wide.
Last month, Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, commander of the Iranian
navy, claimed that closing the Strait would be “easy,” adding:
“As Iranians say, it will be easier than drinking a glass of
water.”
But USS Abraham Lincoln, a nuclear-powered carrier capable of
embarking 90 aircraft, passed through this channel and entered
the Gulf without incident yesterday. HMS Argyll, a Type 23
frigate from the Royal Navy, was one of the escort vessels
making up the carrier battle-group. A guided missile cruiser and
two destroyers from the US Navy completed the flotilla, along
with one warship from the French navy. source – Telegraph UK