Iran warns of Gulf blitzkrieg, Hormuz closure

afp ^ | 7/5/08 | afp

[Flavius]

TEHRAN (AFP) - Iran's military chiefs warned on Saturday that the Islamic republic would shut down the Strait of Hormuz vital for oil exports and use "blitzkrieg tactics" in the Gulf if it came under attack.

[CaspersGh0sts]

Good grief, quit yapping and just man the hell up, let’s get this school yard fist fight over with.

Had our nation prepared well instead of dragging our feet, our first punch could have been the announcement that we no longer needed to buy any oil coming from Iran, that our nuclear power plants were now operational and that they would fuel our electric cars. All remaining petroleum needed would come from our own shores, Canada, and Mexico.

Slowly but surely the nations of the Middle East would wither away, the money would dry up, and the weapon stockpiling and research would come to a close. There would be no more Wahabbist mosques built. And we could laugh at this fool and his empty and now teethless threats.

But that would have required some forethought.

[arthurus]

A proper attack will eliminate the wherewithal to stage a blitzkrieg before it gets out of the barracks.

[Postman]

It’s a good thought but Pelosi seems to be running the House more as a despot than a Democrat....

[Polybius]

If he is referring the Hitlers " BlitzKrieg " tactics, then ? were are all the tanks ? planes ? ..... Prophet in the wilderness

They do have tanks and aircraft. The question is whether they can conduct combined arms operations. By the way, their indigenously-built MBT is a cross between an M-48 and a T-72 .... Army Air Corps

Do the Iranians have armor and air power?

Yes.

Can they conduct combined operations?

Yes.

Can such a combined operation survive in the face of U.S. air power?

Definitely.

It can survive the entire time from the takeoff of U.S. aircraft to the minute that U.S. air power actually makes contact with the enemy.

"Blitzkrieg" (Lighting War) refers to the combination of mechanized infantry and massed armor with powerful close air support. Although that might seem to be the natural order of things today, it was a novel concept in 1939.

Successful Blitzkreig, however, requires AIR SUPERIORITY on your part.

Enemy air superiority = You move and you die.

In the Gulf War, Iraq's air power was completely overwhelmed by U.S. air power. Iraqi forces could only survive by digging in and hiding from U.S. airpower. Once the U.S. ground offensive started and hiding in a hole was no longer an option, the Iraqis had a choice of surrendering or dying while hiding in their holes or dying while moving.

Many died in their holes or surrendered next to their holes.

The remainder died while moving.

Highway 80, Kuwait, aftermath of U.S. air strikes in 1991:

The bottom line is that Iran cannot conduct succesful Blitzkrieg. They can certainly try Blitzkrieg but it will result in nothing more that an Iranian massacre.

[Army Air Corps]

Also consider that the UAE alone has a greater combat aircraft capability than Iran. The Royal Saudi Air Force would completely overwhelm Iran’s airpower. Also, the UAE and the Saudis have seapower and amphibious capabilities superior to that of Iran.

[Forward the Light Brigade]

Yet, I fear Iran will win because no one will do anything. They don’t want the bad press. Bush can’t do anything because he’s a tangled up in Iraq and with a Democrat House & Senate. He will pressure Israel to do nothing because we can’t afford a war. No one will stop Iran even if they close down oil trade. No one will do anything because we do not have a Churchill to lead us. America will not wake up until our backs are too the wall. Its the way we have been wimpified by the power hungry Democrat/Liberals. Once they get in charge—they may change their tune.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

So the question is ? not IF Iran can mount a operational “ BlitzKreig “ but ? can it survive in the face of overwhelming superior US air power ?

[Prophet in the wilderness]

" Once they get in charge—they may change their tune. "
If they get in charge, we will be in deeper doo doo.

[Polybius]

So the question is ? not IF Iran can mount a operational “ BlitzKreig “ but ? can it survive in the face of overwhelming superior US air power ?

No, it can't.

A Blitzkrieg with the enemy having complete air superirity is ......

[Forward the Light Brigade]

True—once liberals take over it will be hard to get them out.