Iran: No oil through strait if sanctions applied

[Bombay Dude]

No oil will be permitted to pass through the key oil transit Strait of Hormuz if the West applies sanctions on Iran's oil exports, Iranian Vice President Ali Rahimi warned on Tuesday.

The threat was reported by the state news agency IRNA as Iran conducted navy wargames near the Strait of Hormuz, at the entrance of the oil-rich Gulf.

"If sanctions are adopted against Iranian oil, not a drop of oil will pass through the Strait of Hormuz," Rahimi was quoted as saying.

"We have no desire for hostilities or violence... but the West doesn't want to go back on its plan" to impose sanctions, he said.

"The enemies will only drop their plots when we put them back in their place," he said.

The threat underlined Iran's readiness to target the narrow stretch of water along its Gulf coast if it is attacked or economically strangled by Western sanctions.

More than a third of the world's tanker-borne oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz.

The United States maintains a navy presence in the Gulf in large part to ensure that passage remains free.
Iran is currently carrying out navy exercises in international waters to the east of the Strait of Hormuz.

Ships and aircraft dropped mines in the sea Tuesday as part of the drill, according to a navy spokesman.

Although Iranian wargames occur periodically, the timing of these is seen as a show of strength as the United States and Europe prepare to impose further sanctions on Iran's oil and financial sectors.

The last round of sanctions, announced in November, triggered a pro-regime protest in front of the British embassy in Tehran during which Basij militia members overran the mission, ransacking it.

London closed the embassy as a result and ordered Iran's mission in Britain shut as well.

Lebanon news - NOW Lebanon -Iran: No oil through strait if sanctions applied

Seems Iran wants to get Banged by the Entire World!

 

[SinoChallenger]

Seems Iran wants to get Banged by the Entire World!

Just as I thought.... when the chips are down, india will choose to side with the Anglos and turn against Iran instead of maintaining it's "non-aligned" policy against US pressure.

 

[53fd]

Iran playing hardball.

 

[Mosamania]

closing the strait is an act of war against GCC countries not against the "west" since even China will be affected by this. If they do that they should expect a counter-strike.

 

[somebozo]

Just as I thought.... when the chips are down, india will choose to side with the Anglos and turn against Iran instead of maintaining it's "non-aligned" policy against US pressure.

I am surprised how fast they turn their back against there supposed friend..no shortage of members here singing Indo-Persian brotherhood when India is clearly siding with the anglos. Ghaddai , Saddam Hussien and the entire Africa may have been amused by indian dancing but rest assured they would never thought close relationship with India would be of some strategic use against the popular perception created by new delhi.

 

[anon45]

Just as I thought.... when the chips are down, india will choose to side with the Anglos and turn against Iran instead of maintaining it's "non-aligned" policy against US pressure.

Most of the oil going through the strait goes to China and India, of course they'd be against it. Rather i'm surprised you apparently aren't, seeing as it would have a detrimental effect on China.

 

[VCheng]

The Strait of Hormuz is the world's most stretegic choke point for crude oil transport. However, its closure does not affect USA as much as the big Asian economies: Japan, India, South Korea, and China, and there are possible alternatives too that exist:

excerpt from: http://www.eia.gov/cabs/World_Oil_Transit_Chokepoints/Full.html

"Strait of Hormuz is by far the world's most important chokepoint due to its daily oil flow of 15.5 million barrels in 2009, down from a peak of 17 million bbl/d in 2008. Flows through the Strait in 2009 are roughly 33 percent of all seaborne traded oil (40 percent in 2008), or 17 percent of oil traded worldwide.

On average, 13 crude oil tankers per day passed eastbound through the Strait in 2009 (compared with an average of 18 in 2007-2008), with a corresponding amount of empty tankers entering westbound to pick up new cargos. More than 75 percent of these crude oil exports went to Asian markets, with Japan, India, South Korea, and China representing the largest destinations.

At its narrowest point, the Strait is 21 miles wide, but the width of the shipping lane in either direction is only two miles, separated by a two-mile buffer zone. The Strait is deep and wide enough to handle the world's largest crude oil tankers, with about two-thirds of oil shipments carried by tankers in excess of 150,000 deadweight tons.

Closure of the Strait of Hormuz would require the use of longer alternate routes at increased transportation costs. Alternate routes include the 745 mile long Petroline, also known as the East-West Pipeline, across Saudi Arabia from Abqaiq to the Red Sea. The East-West Pipeline has a nameplate capacity of 4.8 million bbl/d. The Abqaiq-Yanbu natural gas liquids pipeline, which runs parallel to the Petroline to the Red Sea, has a 290,000-bbl/d capacity.

A new bypass is currently being constructed across the United Arab Emirates that is expected to be completed in 2011. The 1.5 million bbl/d Habshan-Fujairah pipeline will cross the emirate of Abu Dhabi and end at the port of Fujairah just south of the Strait. Other alternate routes could include the deactivated 1.65-million bbl/d Iraqi Pipeline across Saudi Arabia (IPSA), and the deactivated 0.5 million-bbl/d Tapline to Lebanon. Additional oil could also be pumped north via the Iraq-Turkey pipeline to the port of Ceyhan on the Mediterranean Sea, but volumes have been limited by the closure of the Strategic pipeline linking north and south Iraq.

 

[Mosamania]

The Strait of Hormuz is the world's most stretegic choke point for crude oil transport. However, its closure does not affect USA as much as the big Asian economies: Japan, India, South Korea, and China, and there are possible alternatives too that exist:

excerpt from: http://www.eia.gov/cabs/World_Oil_Transit_Chokepoints/Full.html

shushhh you are blowing the Iranian bubble.

 

[DV RULES]

Iran playing hardball.

Hard and dangerous, it can upset diplomatic support for Iran and world will start to think how to terminate this permanent threat for oil transit strait. Very Bold step.

 

[VCheng]

Hard and dangerous, it can upset diplomatic support for Iran and world will start to think how to terminate this permanent threat for oil transit strait. Very Bold step.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures."

 

[DV RULES]

The Strait of Hormuz is the world's most stretegic choke point for crude oil transport. However, its closure does not affect USA as much as the big Asian economies: Japan, India, South Korea, and China, and there are possible alternatives too that exist:

excerpt from: http://www.eia.gov/cabs/World_Oil_Transit_Chokepoints/Full.html

May be Iran's government got out of his mind.

 

[Meengla]

I am surprised by the Iranian announcement. Sure, denying Iran to effectively export its oil is an act of aggression in its own way--but Iranians would be smart to, first get out of the NPT, then develop/announce their nukes and -then- sabre rattle.

Cart before the horse.

Anyway, let's hope sanity prevails on all sides. The key to the regional peace lies in the Israeli-Palestinian peace. These mandarins of the world need to concentrate on that.

 

[FireFighter]

Hard and dangerous, it can upset diplomatic support for Iran and world will start to think how to terminate this permanent threat for oil transit strait. Very Bold step.

No...the news of the closure of the strait alone would shrink the oil supply and consequently shoot up the oil prices worldwide as well and impact the whole world

World's biggest oil consumer being the US will be hit the hardest during recession, followed by China, Japan and India...

Check the oil prices tomorrow guys...this news might jack up the oil prices by a few cents

Iranian just poked the Americans in the nuts

 

[Bombay Dude]

How would Iran face the Wrath of so many Navies?

 

[VCheng]

No...the news of the closure of the strait alone would shrink the oil supply and consequently shoot up the oil prices worldwide as well and impact the whole world

World's biggest oil consumer being the US will be hit the hardest during recession, followed by China, Japan and India...

Check the oil prices tomorrow guys...this news might jack up the oil prices by a few cents

Iranian just poked the Americans in the nuts

Of course, a world recession will not do anyone any good, and perhaps unite the world against Iran even more resolutely.