An undated picture of an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy patrol craft.
“Iran’s armed forces … are prepared today as in the past to protect our fleet of oil tankers against any threats so that it can continue to use marine waterways,” Rear-Admiral Mahmoud Mousavi, deputy commander of Iran’s Army, said on November 12 onbviously hinting to the US sanctions imposed on Iran’s energy sales.
Mousavi said that hindering Iran’s transportation and trade through international waterways is “unacceptable” He emphasized that Irainan forces are prepared to “to protect our commercial fleet … as they have in the past 40 years.”
The statement followed remarks by Brian Hook, the US special representative for Iran. He warned Iran’s business partners to “rethink” their “decision” to buy Iranian oil in the wake of Washington’s “toughest” sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
“From the Suez Canal to the Strait of Malacca and all choke-points in between, Iranian tankers are a floating liability,” Hook stated during a press conference on November 7. “Self-insured Iranian tankers are a risk to the ports that permit them to dock [and] the canals that allow them to transit.”
He threatened countries and port operators with possible US penalties for facilitating Iranian ships’ access to international waterways and port facilities.
Had Iran said what Hook said, ‘experts’ on FOX news would be howling that Iran was saber rattling. Any honest reading of Hook’s statement indicates a physical threat against Iranian tankers and possibly the ports who host them.
Most likely the US will impose sanctions on those countries and ports. America’s military teeth have dulled a long time ago.
Iranian navy, in addition with the fortified coastal line, will humiliate these Yankees for sure. After opening the persian gulf, they should head towards Al-Hudaydah, how’s ’bout that?
jews want the war jews need the war..and their timeframe is constantly getting smaller to do so.
I guess “freedom of navigation” only applies if you are trespassing in Chinese waters.
The US is really going off the deep end with this antisocial sanctions nonsense for the evil Jew pedophile mass rape cultists.
Iranians only need to bar US ships from entering their waters, which would include the Strait of Hormuz.
The US has pretty much stayed out of the Persian Gulf, ever since Russia fired cruise missiles from the Caspian sea to Syria. It so scared the Americans the whole US 5th fleet left its base in Bahrain, within hours, and hasn’t been back. Now they loiter around the Arabian sea, away from Russian missiles.
You do realise that the sword of Damocles that Iran threatens to use, will also curtail its own shipping, including the vast majority of its own oil exports.