17.09.2012
Dozens of countries are kicking off a large-scale naval exercise in the Strait of Hormuz on Iran's doorstep. The place was obviously selected not by chance, since in case of being attacked by the US or Israel, Iran threatens to cut the world's largest oil artery.
Soon the Strait of Hormuz will be crowded by warships. Twenty five countries have deployed naval assets there. Ships of Great Britain, the US, France, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates are to participate in the 12-day long exercise.
The Sunday Telegraph described the concentration of battleships, submarines, and aircraft carriers (some even
Nimitz-class ones) as unprecedented. According to the newspaper, participants demonstrate power expecting Israel's preventive strike upon Iranian nuclear targets.
Purpose of the maneuvers is to prevent Iran's attempts either to mine the strait or to block the sea route where oil traffic is about 18 mln barrels per day. Termination of oil traffic in the strait is fraught with a disaster for marginal economies of the Great Britain, Europe, the US, and Japan which highly depend on the oil-and-gas deliveries from the Persian Gulf.
Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu recently said Iran would acquire nuclear weapons in half a year and it must be kept from doing that. As for the politician, many leaders were persuading him not to take hasty actions. However, Netanyahu said that slackness in due time was more dangerous. According to Israeli leader, "it's the same fanaticism that you see storming your embassies today. You want these fanatics to get nuclear weapons?"
But not everybody backs up the aggressor's posture. The first who "suffered" for pacifistic views was British defense minister Nick Harvey. The
Mail on Sunday reports Harvey was simply fired prior to the naval maneuvers in the Strait of Hormuz for his opposing to take part in preventive attack upon Iran. In his circle, Harvey openly said he had been expelled from the government to avoid its split regarding support of the US and Israel in their preventive attack upon Iran.
But Tehran can fight for own hand though. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps commander Mohammad Ali Jafari said that "our response to Israel is clear. I think nothing will remain of Israel. Given Israel's small land area and its vulnerability to a massive volume of Iran's missiles, I don't think any spot in Israel will remain safe". Nonetheless, General Jafari emphasized that Iran would not attack first.
He commented the possibility of a larger conflict in the same optimistic manner. As for him, Iran is capable to counter any attack, even the America's one.
