A war in the Gulf / Straits of Hormuz: the past and the future

[davidbfpo]

Moderator at work

Until some merging today there were several threads on related issues:

From 2006-2010: CSIS Reports on The Gulf Military Forces in an Era of Asymmetric War
From 2008: Straits of Hormuz Incident - The Iranian Small Boat Threat
In 2010: AQ-Linked Group Claims Gulf Tanker Attack

Obviously any conflict in this 'choke point' is related to the wider policy debate around relations with Iran over nuclear weapons, the international community (principally the west, Gulf states and buyers of oil) and the Israeli factor. Currently there is a principal thread 'Iran, Nukes, Diplomacy and other options:catch all thread 2011':http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/...ad.php?t=14500

There are several threads on a strike on Iranian nuclear facilities (currently locked) and a historical thread 'Observing Iran (catch all historical thread)':http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/...ead.php?t=7588

[davidbfpo]

A BBC News report based on an Iranian political and then naval statements:

Iran says it may close a vital oil-trade route if the West imposes more sanctions over its controversial nuclear programme.

Vice-President Mohammad Reza Rahimi warned that "not a drop of oil will pass through the Strait of Hormuz" if sanctions are widened.

Iran's navy chief Admiral Habibollah Sayari later said closing the strait would be "easy".

Link:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16344102

This story prompted this thread's creation. It is a repeating issue and worthy of a watching brief.

[davidbfpo]

International politics can be unpredictable, even more so when small things happen and this story illustrates this rather well, headline and then sub-title:

'US Navy rescues Iranian fishermen from Somali pirates'
A US aircraft carrier whose presence in the Persian Gulf last week triggered threats of retribution from Iran was involved in the rescue of 13 Iranian fishermen being held captive by Somali pirates in the nearby Arabian Sea.

Link:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...i-pirates.html

IIRC Iran has deployed warships to combat piracy, under national control. Now for the diplomats to arrange the exchange, although I expect it will be Oman who resolves this.