Iran's threat to close Strait of Hormuz: bluff to influence U.S. presidential election?

Jewish World Review ^ | 1/2/12 | Heather Robinson

[Former Fetus]

Last week, as many Americans took to the skies and roads to visit with family and friends for the New Year's holiday, the Islamic Republic of Iran unleashed a torrent of threats to close the Strait of Hormuz, a shipping channel vital to transporting one third of the world's crude oil.

On Tuesday, Iranian Vice President Mohamed Reza Rahimi warned that "not a drop of oil will pass through the Strait of Hormuz" if the West imposed new sanctions against the country's oil sector. Wednesday brought a boast from Iran's navy chief, who said that the Islamic Republic could close the Strait, adding that doing so would be very easy for his country's forces. Thursday, a commander of the Revolutionary Guard continued to raise the specter of disrupting the Strait, declaring, "The U.S. is not in a position" to tell Iran what to do and adding, "Iran does not ask permission to implement its own defensive strategies."

>>SNIP<<

Perhaps fearing the election of a Republican U.S. president, the Iranians are trying to create a pretext of imminent threat to oil transport via the Strait from which to back off in response to strong statements from the U.S., such as Wednesday's remarks by representatives of the U.S. Navy and the Pentagon that any blockage of the Strait "will not be tolerated."

>>SNIP<<

[Former Fetus]

Duh! Does the sun rise in the East?

[C210N]

This is plausible.... with complimentary help from the zer0.

For example, killing Keystone makes imported oil that much more critical for the economy, amplifying any action in the straits due to a closure, and thus making zer0 look “presidential”.

[elkfersupper]

Iran is not stupid.

They know that the only U.S. President ever that would condone or even go so far as to support their closing of the Strait of Hormuz is the current one.

[elkfersupper]

Iran is not stupid.

They know that the only U.S. President ever that would condone or even go so far as to support their closing of the Strait of Hormuz is the current one.

[Impy]

Threats would only help elect the Republican since everyone knows Obama would bend over.

[Forward the Light Brigade]

Didn’t a US president say such an act would be a cause for War? Didn’t the US vow to keep the Strait of Hormuz open for all? If they should try to stop the tankers with some rubber boats and rockets wouldn’t that invite an attack from the west? A war might help Obama but it would be a risk—and I don’t see our current president taking risks. Then again, if the King he bows to in Arabia wished it...
War is coming between the USA and what ever allies we have left, and Iran and what states they can rally to take up the Jihad (Might include Cuba and Venezuela).

[thackney]

a shipping channel vital to transporting one third of the world's crude oil

It is about one third of all the ship born exported oil, but “only” 17 million barrels means barely less than one fifth.

http://205.254.135.7/countries/regions-topics.cfm?fips=WOTC#hormuz

However, there are some reserved pipelines for this possibility so this amount of oil would not be removed from the market.

Some shipping delays, increased cost and some bottlenecks, but the fear-mongering of 1/3 of the worlds oil is in peril is simply not true.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Former Fetus.

Perhaps fearing the election of a Republican U.S. president, the Iranians are trying to create a pretext of imminent threat to oil transport via the Strait from which to back off in response to strong statements from the U.S., such as Wednesday's remarks by representatives of the U.S. Navy and the Pentagon that any blockage of the Strait "will not be tolerated."

The only way this could have been an attempt to influence the US election is if Zero or Hitlery arranged the whole thing with their Tehran allies in advance.

[Spok]

One can’t help but wonder what it would take to push Obama to decisive action in the interests of the U.S., and then, whether it would be competent or taken seriously by those who live to destroy us. The fact that Taiwan or South Korea have not been attacked is nothing short of miraculous.