Iran Claims It Has A Blockade On The Strait Of Hormuz

[DSAbug]

http://www.businessinsider.com/iran-announces-its-blockading-on-the-strait-of-hormuz-2012-4

We reported a couple weeks ago that Iran was demanding all U.S. ships entering the Strait of Hormuz stop and check in with the Revolutionary Guard, and now it seems they're taking the move one step farther.

FARS News Agency, Tehran's state run media outlet, announced Tehran is implementing a full blockade on all ships entering the Strait and each must undergo inspection.

From FARS:

"The alien vessels which enter the Persian Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz always provide the needed answers and information to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) units," Lieutenant Commander of the IRGC Naval Force Alireza Tangsiri said on Wednesday.

He further noted the deployment of a US aircraft carrier in the region, and said, "This vessel, similar to the other warships, answered all the questions asked by the IRGC Navy without any problem or making any particular move and then continued the path to its specified destination."

The UPI reports that Iran's fleet of 20 submarines are much on the mind of U.S. military officials as Tehran increases it's bluster and stance in the Strait.

The submarines are seen as a danger to international tanker traffic, which ships one-fifth of the world's oil supplies through the narrow strait every day, and to Western warships if Iran carries out its threat to close Hormuz if its oil exports are blocked.

U.S. military planners must factor in the Iranian submarine threat as the Americans, spearheaded by the U.S. Navy 5th Fleet based in Bahrain, square off for possible conflict with Iran over its contentious nuclear program. "The Iranians would not have acquired so many submarines if they did not think they would come in handy," U.S. defense analyst Scott Charney observed in an April 9 assessment of Iranian submarine capabilities.

Tehran's submarine fleet is led by three Russian Kilo-class diesel electric boats, deep water subs halfway through their 30-year lifespan, and a large number of "midget" subs that can lurk in the shallow waters of the strait.

One 76-foot Nahang, which means whale in Farsi, is supposed to be completely stealth and able to evade detection.

 

[pmbug]

Papers please for the warrantless checkpoint inspection. Oh the irony.

 

[KMS]

HAHAHAHAH! (breath) HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Diesel Electric subs!!!! (breath)

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!1!111

 

[bushi]

Diesel Electric subs!!!! (breath)

What's so funny? If they can do the job as good as... It is a small theater, they do not need to operate autonomously for months, etc...

I do not suppose Iran to win against US there, but my point is, that Kalashnikov can shot anyone dead as good as a million dollar drone shooting $60,000 worth Hellfire missile, for a fraction of cost - it all depends on the situation...


regards,

PS. Bloody Bastards Iranians - they didn't wait 'till elections!? The cheek of them!!

 

[KMS]

Okay, fair enough. I welcome the opportunity to explain myself.

First, I apologize in advance if I offend anyone. I just see the whole middle east debacle as a joke hinged on politics more than bullets. I think our good will and nature is more than demonstrated by NOT crushing anyone that stands up to us. Do you think Caesar would have shown restraint? Alexander? Khan?

As a combat veteran of the U.S. Army, you must understand, that deep down, no matter how stupid our .GOV is, I will always see it as an US v.s. THEM when it comes to an opposing sovereignty. Especially when they are implementing 'inspection checkpoints' on international water.

The Iranians are lucky that politics and reservations prevent the U.S. Armed Forces from doing the worst things they are capable of. Rather, the best they are capable of. For Iran to expect anything they have, short of tactical nukes, to really hold water against the technically superior U.S. arsenal that could use a fleet of stealth jets to drop laser guided sub killing bombs directly up their stove pipes without them getting a warning or shot off...

Use your imagination. How bad do you expect the world's most sophisticated fighting force ever implemented to beat up some backwards country that is still on internal combustion driven navy? I mean, I am honestly surprised that the U.S. isn't bombing enemies from orbit by now.

Again, I am sorry, but I am a realist, and I've been in the shit. Yes, an AK is a deadly weapon, but my comment was about their navy.

Just my feelings. Again, sorry, but I can't change how I feel about this. Right or wrong. I empathize with people that don't see it as 'right', but that only means I can understand their position. Compassion though, not so much for me...

 

[bushi]

hey, no worries, I am not offended at all - just wanted to point out that it might be just enough to have few diesel-electric subs there to shut down the oil transport through that strait... Which, depending on the planned disruption, might be all that Iranians need. If they sunk several tankers using them, how bad situation on oil shipments would it be? Can world (and US, by proxy) afford that?

That was my whole point, I suppose, although maybe not fully clear. They might be able to achieve their planned goals just fine with their outdated fleet - I don't know, but it depends on the goals. I certainly do not expect them being able to successfully fend off US carriers...

EDIT: "The Spice must flow". But didn't Paul Attreides held Imperator hostage, when he said they can destroy it

 

[benjamen]

This entire situation with Iran boggles my mind!

Imagine:
1) A country far away from the U.S. decides we are not allowed to have nuclear power or nuclear weapons
2) This country goes around blackmailing every other country to no longer trade with us
3) This country sits a large fleet of war ships off the coast of Florida

How would we react to this?

 

[pmbug]

...
How would we react to this?

Apparently, many Americans think the Golden Rule is hogwash:



:flail:

 

[benjamen]

.....and people wonder why I am actively looking for a job overseas

 

[KMS]

Look, I admit, and I said before, that I can see why it isn't "right" for things to be the way they are. Why kill each other when we already know how it will end? It is suicide by the Iranians, imho. They should just concede the nuke shit, sit back, make a MINT on oil, stockpile gold, and beat the U.S. like Russia and China are planning to. With destroying the dollar. They are doing it all wrong. They are doing it 1950's style, just like their "Navy", backwards.

 

[DCFusor]

You gotta love it when your adversary ties his hands behind his back voluntarily, though.

 

[ancona]

Iran is doing what they are so good at; lies and manipulation. They have already succeeded in costing Europe a shitload of money through the sanctions imposed on them, and have simply started to barter the oil for the things they need. If you think about it for a minute, barter is really the way to go, since there isn't really a middle man, or "broker" to peel off a vig on either end of the transaction while converting the oil in to dollars, then paying dollars for goods.