Iran Will Shut Down Oil Supply Route If Interests Are Threatened

In light of talk about attacks on Iran coming out of Israel and sanctions on Iran coming out of the U.S. and Britain, the Deputy Commander of the Iranian Navy has made it clear that Iran will not hesitate to shut down the Strait of Hormuz if Iran finds itself threatened.

Speaking on August 8, General Gholam-Reza Bigham said: “We have useful experience from the war imposed on us by Iraq, which tried to deploy forces on the edges of the Strait of Hormuz. …We imposed our control over the straits, and did not allow a single vessel to pass through to Iraq.”  

Bigham went on to talk of the advanced capabilities of Iran’s military now compared with the military with which they fought Iraq. He contended that if they were capable of closing the straits then, they are even more capable of doing so today.

For those who wonder what the big deal is and why we should care whether the Strait of Hormuz is open or closed, keep this in mind: about one-fifth of the world’s oil supply is shipped through those waters.