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2011-12-29 Syria-Lebanon-Iran

"Really easy" to close Strait of Hormuz: Iranian navy chief

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Posted by Fred 2011-12-29 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11132 views ] Top
File under: Govt of Iran

#1 "Really easy" to close Strait of Hormuz: Iranian navy chief

With sunken Iranian warships preferably.

Posted by Redneck Jim 2011-12-29 01:15|| 2011-12-29 01:15|| Front Page Top

#2 I am sure that we know where all of their naval bases are. And all of their command and control sites. And all of their refineries. And lots of other things that they wouldn't like to lose.
Just sayin', is all.

Posted by Rambler in Virginia 2011-12-29 02:29|| 2011-12-29 02:29|| Front Page Top

#3 Tehran in September rejected a Washington call for a military hotline between the capitals to defuse any "miscalculations" that could occur between their navies in the Gulf.

I suppose Obamanure imagines that this is as bad as the Cold War?

Posted by gorb 2011-12-29 04:07|| 2011-12-29 04:07|| Front Page Top

#4 Welcome to Sderot.

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2011-12-29 05:19|| 2011-12-29 05:19|| Front Page Top

#5 I think the Iranian navy chief has a valid point. Iran could lay mines. Very cheap to make and lay. Quite effective too. It could be days to months until a lane could be made where ships could travel. It would be expensive to remove and the economic costs would be huge.

Posted by BernardZ 2011-12-29 07:27|| 2011-12-29 07:27|| Front Page Top

#6 -- Yes, it's very easy to close the Strait.
-- Yes, the economic damage to the rest of the world would be huge.
This has been true for only about say, 30 years.
The real questions are, what will the rest of the world do about it, and how much of the Mullocracy will remain intact after the Mullahs close the strait?
Iran is like a target in the largest artillery range ever made.

Posted by Anguper Hupomosing9418 2011-12-29 09:01|| 2011-12-29 09:01|| Front Page Top

#7 Sure, easy to do. But for how long and at what cost?

Posted by SteveS 2011-12-29 10:45|| 2011-12-29 10:45|| Front Page Top

#8 The most effective strategy, if we could pull it off, would be to call their bluff.

Let them mine the Straits. And in response, announce a massive new investment in exploiting US energy sources, build the damned pipeline for Canadia shale oil and figure out how to keep the Europeans from imploding while that happens.

China would no doubt use that to build closer ties to Iran, but they'll do that anyway.

Posted by lotp 2011-12-29 10:54|| 2011-12-29 10:54|| Front Page Top

#9 Assuming, of course, that Iranian mines can tell the difference between Chinese and European tankers.

Posted by Thing From Snowy Mountain 2011-12-29 11:00|| 2011-12-29 11:00|| Front Page Top

#10 Bring it on sucker and we'll fly a cruise missile up your butt.

Posted by Bill Clinton 2011-12-29 11:54|| 2011-12-29 11:54|| Front Page Top

#11 Pull our finger.

Posted by newc 2011-12-29 12:14|| 2011-12-29 12:14|| Front Page Top

#12 nd figure out how to keep the Europeans from imploding while that happens.

Why? Let them clear the straights and keep themselves from imploding.

Posted by Laurence of the Rats 2011-12-29 12:32|| 2011-12-29 12:32|| Front Page Top

#13 They could do it really easily for a few days to a week. Then enough military assets would be in place to pound their coast back to the stone age and keep them from firing missiles.

The question is, what would be Iran's long term goal from such a scenario?

Posted by DarthVader 2011-12-29 12:38|| 2011-12-29 12:38|| Front Page Top

#14 The question is, what would be Iran's long term goal from such a scenario?

To force the 12th Imam and Allah himself to involve themselves on the side of their people. These people are not sane as we define it, though some of the citizenry may be.

Posted by trailing wife 2011-12-29 15:43|| 2011-12-29 15:43|| Front Page Top

#15 Why? Let them clear the straights and keep themselves from imploding.

Because if they implode they will align openly with Iran, provide significant tech transfer to the Mullahs (and thereby to Hezb'allah and Hamas and Chavez etc.) and generally f&ck things up.

Posted by lotp 2011-12-29 16:58|| 2011-12-29 16:58|| Front Page Top

#16 I think the Iranian navy chief has a valid point. Iran could lay mines.

Whether or not those mines will remain in the straits for a significant period of time is another story. Hydrographic data indicates otherwise (unless they deploy bottom mines - and that is still questionable).

Let [the Europeans]clear the straights and keep themselves from imploding.

The Germans still have an excellent mine clearing capacity. The USN, however, is essentially the only one with with mine countermeasure assets currently in-theater. Unfortunately it's not only the Europeans that would be impacted. The Japanese import 40% of their oil from the region; other Asian countries import as well, though to lesser amount. The short-term economic and political damage would be world-wide. An already-fragile economic situation will likely exacerbate matters, likely making any sort of damage control much harder, if near-impossible.

Posted by Pappy 2011-12-29 18:15|| 2011-12-29 18:15|| Front Page Top

#17 Of course no one has explain American election process to these clowns that the Blamer-in-Chief might just be looking for another non-Congressionally mandated war to shore up his dying political future, a desperate man grasping at straws.

Posted by P2Kontheroad 2011-12-29 19:58|| 2011-12-29 19:58|| Front Page Top

#18 Back when we had adults running the country there was this little Navy exercise called 'Operation Earnest Will' that had surface combantants escorting tankers while Tomcats and Intruders, and Corsairs provided air cover and tanking support. Sadly, the adults, the F-14s, A-7s and Skypigs have all retired and what is left is a mere shadow. Lawn Darts don't have the legs and the Waffler-in-Chief ain't got the balls.....

Posted by USN, Ret. 2011-12-29 22:19|| 2011-12-29 22:19|| Front Page Top

23:33 tipper
23:20 Thing From Snowy Mountain
23:19 Thing From Snowy Mountain
22:19 USN, Ret.
22:18 M. Murcek
22:15 Barbara
22:11 Bill Clinton
22:08 Bill Clinton
22:06 M. Murcek
22:06 Bill Clinton
22:03 gorb
22:02 trailing wife
21:59 gorb
21:58 gorb
21:55 trailing wife
21:55 gorb
21:54 gorb
21:53 gorb
21:51 gorb
21:48 JosephMendiola
21:46 Slomp Oppressor of the Faeries1490
21:44 Pappy
21:42 Uncle Phester
21:37 M. Murcek