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ANALYSIS: Iran escalates stand-off, Israel could soon face war
Arutz Sheva ^ | 21/7/19 | Yochanan Visser

Posted on 07/21/2019 3:44:32 PM PDT by Eleutheria5

Iran is slowly taking off its gloves and has dropped its mask in the widening confrontation with Western countries and Israel.

After the United Kingdom (UK) seized an Iranian tanker with oil bound for Syria on July 4, the Iranians embarked on a piracy campaign against British and other vessels in the Persian Gulf.

The tanker, Grace 1, was carrying 2.1 million barrels of oil when it was detained by British Marines and will stay in Gibraltar for another month, a court in the British colony decided last Friday.

Iran called the British action an “act of piracy” and again threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz which is the world’s single most important oil passageway.

Last week, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) made good on its promise to seize British ships sailing through the Strait of Hormuz and on Thursday committed its first act of piracy when it forced the small Panamanian-flagged United Arab Emirates tanker Riah into Iranian territorial waters.

Iran claimed the Riah was smuggling fuel.

That incident followed an earlier attempt to seize the British tanker Heritage on July 11 when a Royal Navy warship foiled an attempt by IRGC speedboats to block the passage of the ship through the Strait of Hormuz.

(Excerpt) Read more at israelnationalnews.com ...


TOPICS: Egypt; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Israel; Russia; Syria; United Kingdom; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: brexit; brexitparty; djibouti; egypt; energy; erdogan; eritrea; escalate; gaza; gibraltar; hamas; hassannasrallah; hezbollah; hydrocarbons; iran; irgc; isis; israel; jerusalem; jordan; kurdistan; lebanon; letshavejerusalem; maga; mullahlovers; nigelfarage; opec; putinsbuttboys; receptayyiperdogan; russia; sinai; sudan; syria; tankers; tensions; turkey; unitedkingdom; waronterror; yemen
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To: momincombatboots
Keep increasing sanctions.

Exactly. Why give up a winning strategy? Part of the reason the Iranians are doing this is to shake up that game because they're losing it.

If the EU would do its duty toward a member state it would tell Iran to knock it off or they pull out of the nuclear deal and enact their own sanctions. The EU wants it both ways, a cozy commercial arrangement with Iran and the clout of a major international player. It can't have it both ways.

21 posted on 07/21/2019 6:40:24 PM PDT by Billthedrill
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To: Eleutheria5

Britain has lost its spine.

They will send a strongly worded letter.


22 posted on 07/21/2019 6:44:26 PM PDT by Bon mots
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To: Eleutheria5

Britain needs you Margaret Thatcher.


23 posted on 07/21/2019 6:46:10 PM PDT by Bon mots
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To: Bon mots

I’m hoping that you’re wrong. The US is now producing oil and gas for export, but I doubt they can fill the hole left by a loss of the Straits of Hormuz, and that means the Euro-peons will come crawling to Iran, offering to help them develop nuclear bombs and ICBMs. So much for bringing Iran to heel.

England could save the day again. But without England, and the US sitting it out as you tried to do in 1914 and 1939, it’s utterly hopeless.

Israel doesn’t even have the capabilities for all-out war with Iran. No carriers. No carrier pilots. Only a dubious alliance with KSA and the Gulf states that could evaporate over one stupid incident, leaving us without a landing strip within striking distance. And Iran’s little pets in Lebanon with all the missiles they need to wreak havoc all the way down the coast, and the little pets in Ghaza able to hit whatever Hizbollah can’t get at. Throw in an Intifada in Judah and Samaria, and you have a fine kettle of fish.

So? Should the US get involved? Not this early. But the UK MUST, for its own safety and that of Europe. Another finest hour is in order, but no dour little bull-dog with the testicular fortitude to pull it off, at least not yet.


24 posted on 07/22/2019 12:12:11 AM PDT by Eleutheria5 (If you are not prepared to use force to defend civilization, then be prepared to accept barbarism.)
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To: montag813

If it’s a matter of sinking the Iranian navy and coming home on time for tea, the UK could do that easily. But war is very unpredictable, and the US might have to step in if the confrontation expands.


25 posted on 07/22/2019 12:22:50 AM PDT by Eleutheria5 (If you are not prepared to use force to defend civilization, then be prepared to accept barbarism.)
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To: montag813

Best way out of this scenario is for Trump to send Green Berets and Seals into Akhwzistan to arm and train the oppressed Arabs there and encourage them to secede. There go the Iranian oil fields. There go Iran’s cash cow and war-making abilities.


26 posted on 07/22/2019 12:29:52 AM PDT by Eleutheria5 (If you are not prepared to use force to defend civilization, then be prepared to accept barbarism.)
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To: Eleutheria5

Iran has upped the ante further just now by announcing it has arrested 17 “CIA trained spies”, and sentenced some of them to death.


27 posted on 07/22/2019 1:02:43 AM PDT by Cementjungle
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To: Cementjungle

Nice. If they really are CIA, the agency will disavow, as they do to agents who get caught. If they are not, they’re dead anyway, so Iran can have its bogeyman and its cred. This is not going to stop anytime soon.


28 posted on 07/22/2019 3:45:11 AM PDT by Eleutheria5 (If you are not prepared to use force to defend civilization, then be prepared to accept barbarism.)
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To: plain talk

I believe the mullas’ purpose is not so much economic as it is domestic. Much of the populace is fed up with their government, so the government needs an external threat, a war if you will, to garner support from the masses.

The mullas need their country to be attacked by the Great Satan or the Lesser Satan and their minions. I don’t believe President Trump is willing to play their game.

Iran will someday, soon, become Persia and the mullas will be deposed.


29 posted on 07/22/2019 4:25:07 AM PDT by Redleg Duke (We live on a tax farm as free-range humans!)
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