Will Iran block Strait of Hormuz?
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the
most strategic waterways in the world as it connects the biggest Gulf oil
producers, such as Saudi Arabia, with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
The Iranian government thinks it has
the right to close the strait, and it has threatened has threatened to block if
it faces sanctions on crude exports.
A number of confrontations took
place between the US and Iran in the Gulf. On April 14, 1988 a guided missile
frigate struck a mine. The explosion blew a 4.5 meter hole in the frigate.
However, the US Navy saved the frigate.
On April 18, the US launched an
attack on Iranian targets with a number of warships, i.e. aircraft carrier USS
Enterprise, and her cruiser escort, USS Truxtun.
The battle was the largest of the
five major US surface engagements since the World War II.
The US Navy and Air Force destroyed
Iranian naval and intelligence targets on two oil platforms, and sank at least
4 Iranian boats and one frigate. In 1986 Iran bombed a US oil tanker, which had
the Kuwaiti flag. The US Navy destroyed two Iranian oil platforms.
