Replies

This is a just war, not against a people but against an ideology. Radical Islam is a Satanic cult.

Thank God many have come to Christ. Meanwhile, as said above, while recent admins since kicked the can, the problem of Iran, down the road for the next one, this one is dealing with the can called radical Iran. However, I see a lack of consideration for the consequences and preparations for quickly dealing with them.

And may I add, as you know, neither this problem nor US intervention is new.

Operation Praying Mantis was an attack on 18 April 1988 by the United States Armed Forces within Iranian territorial waters in retaliation for the Iranian naval mining of international waters in the Persian Gulf during the Iran–Iraq War and the subsequent damage to an American warship. The U.S. Navy attacked with several groups of surface warships, plus aircraft from the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, and her cruiser escort, USS Truxtun. The attack began with coordinated strikes by two surface groups.

In the 1990s, disputes between Iran and the United Arab Emirates over control of several small islands within the Strait of Hormuz resulted in further treats to close the strait. By 1992 however, Iran took control of the islands but tensions remained in the region throughout the 1990s.

In December 2007 and into 2008, a series of naval events between the United States and Iran took place in the Strait of Hormuz. In June of 2008 Iran asserted that if it were attacked by the U.S. the strait would be sealed off in an effort to damage the world’s oil markets. The U.S. responded by claiming that any closure of the strait would be treated as an act of war. This further increased tensions and showed the importance of the Strait of Hormuz on a worldwide scale. - https://www.thoughtco.com/strait-of-hormuz-1435398

On 29 June, 2008, the commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, Mohammad Ali Jafari, said that if either Israel or the U.S. attacked Iran, it would seal off the strait to wreak havoc in the oil markets. Cosgriff warned that such Iranian action would be considered an act of war, and the U.S. would not allow Iran to hold hostage a third of the world's oil supply.[37] In the last week of July, in Operation Brimstone,[39] dozens of U.S., and naval ships from other countries, came to undertake joint exercises for possible military activity in the shallow waters off the coast of Iran. By 11 August, more than 40 U.S. and allied ships were en route to the strait.[40]

On 27 December 2011, Iranian vice president Mohammad Reza Rahimi threatened to cut off oil supply from the strait should economic sanctions limit, or cut off, Iranian oil exports.[41] A U.S. Fifth Fleet spokeswoman said the Fleet was "always ready to counter malevolent actions", whilst Admiral Habibollah Sayyari of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy claimed cutting off oil shipments would be "easy".[42] Despite an initial 2% rise in oil prices, markets ultimately did not react significantly to Iran's threat, with oil analyst Thorbjoern Bak Jensen concluding "they cannot stop the flow for a longer period due to the amount of U.S. hardware in the area".[43]

On 3 January 2012, Iran threatened to take action if the U.S. Navy moved an aircraft carrier back into the Persian Gulf. Iranian Army chief Ataollah Salehi said the U.S. had moved a carrier out of the Persian Gulf because of Iran's naval exercises, and Iran would take action if the ship returned. "Iran will not repeat its warning ... the enemy's carrier has been moved to the Gulf of Oman because of our drill. I recommend and emphasize to the American carrier not to return to the Persian Gulf", he said.[44]

By 23 January, a flotilla had been established by countries opposing Iran's threats to close the strait.[51] These ships operated in the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea off the coast of Iran. The flotilla included three American aircraft carriers, three destroyers, seven British warships, including the destroyer HMS Daring[52][53] and four Type 23 frigates, and the French frigate La Motte-Picquet.[54]

On 22 April 2019, the U.S. ended the oil waivers, which had allowed some of Iran's customers to import Iranian oil, without risking financial penalties as part of U.S. economic sanctions. Al Jazeera quoted Major-General Mohammad Bagheri of the Iranian Armed Forces, stating "We are not after closing the Strait of Hormuz but if the hostility of the enemies increases, we will be able to do so...[58] If our oil does not pass, the oil of others shall not pass the Strait of Hormuz either".[59]

Iran has persistently attacked vessels and seized ships amidst political issues.[35][60] On 13 June 2019, the oil tankers Front Altair and Kokuka Courageous were rocked by explosions shortly before dawn; the crew of the latter reported seeing a flying object strike the ship. They were rescued by the destroyer USS Bainbridge while the crew of the Front Altair were rescued by Iranian ships.

In July 2019, a Stena Bulk Tanker, Stena Impero, sailing under a British flag, was boarded and captured by Iranian forces.[62] The spokesman for Iran's Guardian Council, Abbas Ali Kadkhodaei, was quoted as describing the seizure as a "reciprocal action". This was presumed to be in reference to the seizure of an Iranian tanker bound for Syria, Grace 1, in Gibraltar a few days prior.[63]

In 2020, France deployed about 600 troops at sea and in the air under the CTF474 to protect maritime trade, regional business, and to ease local tensions. Since the first week of April 2020, the operation combines the Dutch frigate Ruyter, the French frigate Forbin, and one French airplane ATLANTIC2 (ATL2).[64]

A May 2012 article by Nilufer Oral, a Turkish researcher of maritime law, concludes that both the UNCLOS, which came into effect in 1994; and the 1958 Convention on the High Seas would be violated if Iran followed through on its threat to block passage of vessels, such as oil tankers, and that the act of passage is not related in law to the imposition of economic sanctions. The article further asserts that a coastal state may prevent "transit or non-suspendable innocent passage" only if: 1) there is threatened or actual use of force, occurring during passage, against the sovereignty, territorial integrity, or political independence of a state bordering the strait; or 2) the vessel in any other way violates the principles of international law as embodied in the Charter of the United Nations.[108]

As of 2013, the UNCLOS treaty had been ratified by 63 states, including most NATO-bloc and Soviet-bloc nations but with the notable exceptions of most of the OPEC and Arab League nations like Syria, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Iran, as well as China, North Korea, and South Korea.[109] As of February 2026, 157 sovereign states, including the EU are parties,[110] including all major powers except the United States, which has not ratified the treaty.

On 28 April 2015, IRGCN patrol boats contacted the Marshall Islands–flagged container ship Maersk Tigris, which was westbound through the strait, and directed the ship to proceed further into Iranian territorial waters,..Maersk says it agreed to pay an Iranian company $163,000 after an Iranian court ruling over a dispute about 10 container boxes transported to Dubai in 2005. An appeal court raised the fine to $3.6 million.[31]

On 4 January 2021, the Tasnim News Agency reported that a South Korea–flagged oil vessel headed from Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates was seized for allegedly causing pollution violations.

In April 2024, the Iranian Navy seized[33] MSC Aries, a Portuguese-flagged container ship .. claiming that it had violated maritime laws.[34] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strait_of_Hormuz#U.S.%E2%80%93Iran_disputes,_threats_to_close_the_Strait