Iran Navy confirms military exercises underway off the Strait of Hormuz

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[link to www.thehalsreport.com]

Two weeks ago a member of Iran’s parliament named Parviz Sarvari told the student news agency ISNA, “Soon we will hold a military maneuver on how to close the Strait of Hormuz. If the world wants to make the region insecure, we will make the world insecure.” At the time, many news and media outlets thought the statement was just another open-ended threat from Iran, a country known to make bold threats and outrageous statements. Needless to say, this time they were telling the truth. On Christmas eve, Iran began its military exercises in the straight of Hormuz.

Today, Iran’s navy continued exercises in international waters beyond the Strait of Hormuz near the mouth of the Persian gulf. The drill comes in wake of mounting international pressures concerning the country’s controversial nuclear program. Iran denies the charges, claiming its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.

The Strait of Hormuz is a strategically important waterway separating the Gulf of Oman from the Persian Gulf. Iran lies on the north coast of the straight. It is the only sea passage to the open ocean for a vast region of the Persian Gulf. 13 oil vessels carrying nearly 15.5 million barrels of crude oil pass through the strait on an average day, making it one of the world’s most strategically important waterways.




Last Edited by The Real News on 12/26/2011 01:39 PM