Posted on 12/31/2011 5:18:49 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach
Tehran said it will test-fire missiles in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, a move likely to stoke tensions with Washington already running high over Iran's threats to close the strategic oil waterway if sanctions are enforced.
"Shorter- and longer-range, ground-to-sea, surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles will be tested on Saturday," the ISNA news agency quoted Iran's navy spokesman, Commodore Mahmoud Mousavi, as saying on Friday.
Iran, which has been carrying out war games in the Strait of Hormuz over the past week, has said that "not a drop of oil" would pass through the strait if Western governments follow through with planned additional sanctions over its nuclear programme.
The US State Department said on Thursday that Iran's threat to close the waterway, through which more than a third of the world's tanker-borne oil passes, exhibited "irrational behavior" and "will not be tolerated."
The naval manoeuvres launched by Iran in the strait on December 24 have so far included mine-laying and the use of aerial drones, according to Iranian media.
Analysts and oil market traders have been watching developments in and around the Strait of Hormuz carefully, fearing that the intensifying war of words between arch foes Tehran and Washington could spark open confrontation.
With tensions over the straight simmering, Iran-rival Saudi Arabia announced that it had signed a deal to buy 84 new US fighter jets in order maximise defence capabilities in the oil-rich kingdom.
On Thursday, the US said the $30 billion (23 billion euro) deal sent a "strong message" to the Gulf region, where Riyadh has voiced concerns about Tehran's efforts to boost its influence.
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
Bump
HOZE-EM!!! 
Outstanding.
Fun facts!
Oil exports provide half of Irans’s government revenue.
Iran’s best customer is China, which took about 22 percent of Tehran’s oil exports during the first half of this year and is a member of the United Nations Security Council and one of the few nations on friendly terms with the Islamic Republic.
Turkey, a NATO member that shares both a border and antipathy toward Kurdish separatist groups with Iran, got 51 percent of its imported crude oil from the Islamic Republic from January to June of this year.
While closing the Strait of Hormuz, even briefly, would hurt Saudi Arabia, Iraq and other Gulf oil exporters, the Saudis also ship oil via the Red Sea.
All of Iran’s exports and many of its imports of gasoline, food and consumer goods are shipped through the strait.
Atta boy Ahmadinejad! Shut that sucker DOWN!
LOL!
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It’s a good move for Iran. The price of a barrel of oil is going up because of it. They make more money.
Its a great move! Price of oil rises while participants in the revenue falls.
A residual bonus! err, a bonus to the residuals!
OK, $150.00 bbl x 0 = $0.0
>>> All <<< of Iran’s exports and many of its imports of gasoline, food and consumer goods are shipped through the strait.
No money, no food, no gas, no TP = very pizzed off population.
Not good for Mr. dinner jacket...
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They are just talking trash. They can’t stop the flow of oil and they know it.
How I wished we had an American President instead of a born and raised muslim president.
Absolutely. If they tried and failed (likely) the rest of the muzzies would laugh them out of OPEC. Perhaps even kick them out.
If they tried and did get the Strait of Hormuz closed they would be in such bad shape within a month we could tell them to hand over the spy drone and they would do it.
Hell, we could tell them to FedEx it back over-night express and they would foot the bill.
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Thanks Ernest.
Iran ‘tests medium-range missile’
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16377185
Iran has test-fired a medium-range missile during military exercises in the Gulf, state media report, amid rising tensions over its nuclear programme.
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