U.S. Navy won't tolerate 'disruption' through Strait of Hormuz

CNN.com ^ | 12/28/11 | Barbara Starr

[ColdOne]

(CNN) -- The U.S. Navy said Iran's threat to block the strategically and economically important Strait of Hormuz is unacceptable.

"The free flow of goods and services through the Strait of Hormuz is vital to regional and global prosperity," Navy 5th Fleet in Bahrain spokeswoman Cmdr. Amy Derrick Frost told reporters on Wednesday.

"Anyone who threatens to disrupt freedom of navigation in an international strait is clearly outside the community of nations; any disruption will not be tolerated."

The 34-mile-wide shipping channel leads in and out of the Persian Gulf between Iran and Oman. It is strategically important because tankers carrying oil travel through it.

[Recovering_Democrat]

Or else what? Hussein will go crying to the U.N.?

[nikos1121]

This is it.... I look for Iran to call our bluff....

This is the Jimmy Carter moment we’ve been waiting for. Obama will order our Navy to stand down and not confront Iran when the close down the Stait during their exercises. It’s a perfect ploy for Iran... They have nothing to lose to taunt the @ hole in the WH...

Mark my words...

[omega4179]

if it affects everyone why does the American taxpayer have to pay for the whole thing?

[omega4179]

if it affects everyone why does the American taxpayer have to pay for the whole thing?

[Nepeta]

This should be coming from the CIC or the state dept.

It should, but the fact that it came from the Navy is an indication of just how dysfuctional things have become. According to the White House site, Obama has not had an official briefing since last Friday on his non-working frolic in Hawaii. I suspect he really isn't doing any work--not that he does much anyway.

Maybe the military is realizing they cannot wait for Obama to finish his playtime fun. Dangerous times ahead...

[Zman516]

This is just standard Zero behavior...do nothing, and if things go well, claim the credit. If things go bad, blame Bush.

[rabidralph]

Send them two kissing Sailors to straighten everything out!

[Mears]

Oh my,that is beautiful.

[RitchieAprile]

Suez was at least arguably Egyptian (on Egyptian soil) and
as all could see the days of Empah were numbered. Nasser
took a gamble and Britain and France could not sell another
war to the US or to their voters at home.

[emax]

I woudl think the Chinese would want to do something about this too, and maybe test some of their new Navy equipment, wouldnt they ? We dont get anywheere near as much oil coming through the Straits of Hormuz as they do and we could survive for a period of time if that Strait closed, they couldnt do it nearly as well. I think any cosying up to Iran they’ve been doing woudl come to a rapid end if the Strait was closed. It would be a scary sign of the times, though, to see the world looking to China to take care of business.

[emax]

Did the Iranian threat to block the Strait come out of nowhere ? It seems quite random, even for these mental patients, to suddenly make this threat now. I wonder if Israel actually is doing something about the Iranian nuke facilities, and the Iranian govt naturally accused us of being connected with it and so they found this to be an opportune time for some easy saber rattling.

[RitchieAprile]

I wonder if Israel actually is doing something about the Iranian nuke facilities

does arranging dirt naps for senior staff count?

[American Constitutionalist]

Why not dress up a old barge to look like a navy ship or a retied navy ship and use that to draw the enemy out ?
Send in a fake convey to see where the enemy has their naval or ground assets to attack any ships coming in those waters ?

[American Constitutionalist]

Why not dress up a old barge to look like a navy ship or a retied navy ship and use that to draw the enemy out ?
Send in a fake convoy to see where the enemy has their naval or ground assets to attack any ships coming in those waters ?

[emax]

Despite what I was saying earlier, I do HOPE and PRAY Israel was able to do something. Before, I was only saying that I was not sure if Israel was in a position where they COULD do something. I know that there has been at least one, and maybe 2, mysterious explosions/meltdowns at Iranian nuke facilities recently and who knows if it was sheer bad luck for the Iranians (and a jackpot for us) or if Israel somehow pulled off a brilliant operation and the Iranian govt is suspicious of this and now is making their retalatory threats.

[GATOR NAVY]

The idea is double hull, as in, not easily sinkable, which COULD block the strait.

The straits are a much wider and deeper feature than people seem to realize. One sunken ship, even the largest ULCC right in the middle of the TSS (Traffic Separation Scheme), is not going to physically block the straits. Ten sunken ULCCs are not going to physically block the straits. The straits can be closed by virtue of the fact that shipping will not take the risk of transiting due to fear of attack, but they cannot be "blocked" with a wreck in the sense that a waterway like the Suez Canal can.

[American Constitutionalist]

That would be about $ 12 for a gallon of gas for a car.... yes that would only be at that price for a few weeks, but can the US economy handle it at that price ?
Along with high gas prices would be food and other products because truckers won't be able to afford to ship those produces if the fuel is that high.

[American Constitutionalist]

" I am not concerned about this issue or the possibility of $300BBL oil, because Obama has no doubt prepared our country for such events.

Obama’s energy policy will get us through this, in the same way he has taken care of us with his ground breaking policies on our economy.

Hang on, the democrats will save us......

See, there’s nothing to worry about. "

Just remember ? this, well, in about a few days, it will be a election year.

That's a sure recipe for the Democrats to lose the election big time in November... you can count on that.

If any conservative politicians want to win big time in this election year, talk about our need and mandate to drill for our own oil here in the USA, and get it done pronto.
Domestic energy will be one of the top hot topics this year.

Domestic energy, national security, and a prosperous economy go hand in hand.

[aruanan]

The Strait is at least 30 miles across. The shipping lanes are about 10 miles wide. The depth of the shipping lanes appears to be between 75 and 100 meters.