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ABU DHABI — The U.S. Navy and its Gulf allies will not allow Iran to seal off the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the commander of U.S. naval forces in the Persian Gulf said Wednesday.
Vice Adm. Kevin Cosgriff, commander of the 5th Fleet, made the warning during talks with naval commanders of Gulf countries in the United Arab Emirates capital of Abu Dhabi. The one-day meeting was to focus on the security of the region's maritime and trade routes and the threat of terrorism.
The 5th Fleet is based in Bahrain, across the Gulf from Iran. Cosgriff said that if Iran choked off the Strait of Hormuz, it would be "saying to the world that 40 percent of oil is now held hostage by a single country."
"We will not allow Iran to close it," he told reporters.
Cosgriff's comments follow Iranian threats that it could seal off the key passageway if there is a Western attack on Tehran. But Cosgriff said that if Iran tried to choke off Hormuz, the "international community would find its voice rapidly" against Iran.
Earlier this week, Cosgriff said in Bahrain that any such action by Iran would be viewed as an act of war.
Twenty-five million barrels of oil, worth about $3 billion, pass through Hormuz every day, Cosgriff said.
Tension has been high between Iran and the West over accusations that Tehran is supporting Shiite militias in Iraq and using its nuclear program as cover for weapons development. Iran has denied both claims.
The narrow Strait of Hormuz is particularly sensitive and has been the scene of close encounters between U.S. and Iranian sailors.
In a Jan. 6 incident, five small Iranian high-speed boats charged U.S. warships and threatened to blow up the convoy. In mid-December, a U.S. ship fired a warning shot at a small Iranian boat that came too close, causing the Iranians to pull back.
Senior U.S. military officials have warned Iran about the risk of triggering an unintended conflict if its boats continue to harass American ships in the Gulf.
The British have also tangled with the Iranians in the Gulf. Last year, Iran seized 15 British sailors and marines while they were searching a merchant ship off the coast of Iraq. Iran released the Britons after almost two weeks.
© 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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4.6
{"commentId":2102267,"authorDomain":"keld"}
Just buy your damned oil elsewhere. E.g. Mexico and Venezuela.
{"commentId":2102267,"threadId":"304313","contentId":"1631727","authorDomain":"keld"}
- 2 votes
#1 - Wed Jul 2, 2008 8:31 AM EDT{"commentId":2102616,"authorDomain":"jdmiller82"}
Or, if Democrats quit stonewalling we could drill/use our very own oil.
{"commentId":2102616,"threadId":"304313","contentId":"1631727","authorDomain":"jdmiller82"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":2102627,"authorDomain":"kingmarty"}
Venezuela doesn't want to do business with us.
Drilling off shore here in the U.S. won't pay of for years. And it will never fly with the Greenpeace types. There hasn't been an oil refinery built here in almost thirty years, because of the pollution i causes.
{"commentId":2102627,"threadId":"304313","contentId":"1631727","authorDomain":"kingmarty"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":2102824,"authorDomain":"keld"}
Oil doesn't last forever. Wind and solar energy are good alternatives. Even nuclear, which I think Greenpeace has started to recommend.
{"commentId":2102824,"threadId":"304313","contentId":"1631727","authorDomain":"keld"}
{"commentId":2102857,"authorDomain":"kingmarty"}
I agree with you. As I've stated several times before. No one source of energy can keep this country going. Solar, wind, nuclear, geothermal, hydroelectric, and natural gas are all sources of energy this country doesn't utilize to their fullest potential.
Solar got a bad rap because it was pushed into release before it was fully ready.
Wind farms catch a lot of resistance because they're "eye sores."
Hydroelectric always catches flack because it messes with the migration patterns of fish.
Nuclear because it's nuclear. People have this fear that every nuclear plant is just moments away from blowing up and turning us into mutant zombies.
{"commentId":2102857,"threadId":"304313","contentId":"1631727","authorDomain":"kingmarty"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":2103105,"authorDomain":"keld"}
Solar, wind, nuclear, geothermal, hydroelectric, and natural gas are all sources of energy this country doesn't utilize to their fullest potential.
Well, something should be done about it then. I saw some figures, a while back, showing how much oil the US military consumes. I think it was equivalent to the whole of EU, or something like that.
{"commentId":2103105,"threadId":"304313","contentId":"1631727","authorDomain":"keld"}
{"commentId":2103259,"authorDomain":"kingmarty"}
The Navy uses a lot of nuclear power. As for the rest of the military you have to look at the cost/effectiveness ratio for converting vehicles to anything other than fuel.
As far as power for the bases, yeah, they consume a lot of energy because most places run 24 hours ops.
{"commentId":2103259,"threadId":"304313","contentId":"1631727","authorDomain":"kingmarty"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":2103333,"authorDomain":"SAdams"}
In a Jan. 6 incident, five small Iranian high-speed boats charged U.S. warships and threatened to blow up the convoy.
This is not correct. There is no proof that the communication came from the boats and it's suspected that it was more likely a known prankster in the area.
{"commentId":2103333,"threadId":"304313","contentId":"1631727","authorDomain":"SAdams"}
- 1 vote
#2 - Wed Jul 2, 2008 11:55 AM EDT{"commentId":2103574,"authorDomain":"jdmiller82"}
it's suspected that it was more likely a known prankster in the area.
Wow that is a stupid prank. Lets charge the worlds most powerful navy with our little boats, boy that will make for some great laughs afterwards...
That seems just as unlikely.
{"commentId":2103574,"threadId":"304313","contentId":"1631727","authorDomain":"jdmiller82"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":2103643,"authorDomain":"kingmarty"}
Their fastboats heading towards our fleet was all Iranian Navy. This has been done a few times. The radio transmissions may have been from a known prankster that often directs radio traffic towards the Navy. The fact that the boats came close to entering defensive range was all Iran.
{"commentId":2103643,"threadId":"304313","contentId":"1631727","authorDomain":"kingmarty"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":2110022,"authorDomain":"SAdams"}
Right the boats were Iranian, but the transmission probably was not. It sucks that half-true stories like these are going to be used as a justification for bombing Iran. Most of the country isn't going to know the full story and only remember what was first reported.
Here's the source for the pranksters:
Admiral Cosgriff's caution was well founded: within a week, the Pentagon acknowledged that it could not positively identify the Iranian boats as the source of the ominous radio transmission, and press reports suggested that it had instead come from a prankster long known for sending fake messages in the region.
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/07/07/080707fa_fact_hersh?currentPage=6
{"commentId":2110022,"threadId":"304313","contentId":"1631727","authorDomain":"SAdams"}
{"commentId":2110206,"authorDomain":"kingmarty"}
Even without the transmissions, their actions speak of hostile intent. Like they're testing the waters, so to speak. Seeing how much they can get away with.
{"commentId":2110206,"threadId":"304313","contentId":"1631727","authorDomain":"kingmarty"}
- 1 vote
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