Substance_PIran pulls a gangster move.
Does Iran actually have the capability to close the Strait though? I thought every naval asset they have has been flattened.
ThePowerOfGeekI’ve been wondering the same thing.
It’s a baller thing to say. But if they’ve lost air superiority (or even if it’s compromised) then it doesn’t mean much.
It’s not really baller if everyone just ignores them, and joins a US led convoy through the Strait.
Neat, the US taxpayers are going to spend billions of dollars to escort oil for the Arabs. All in order to reduce the value of America’s own oil exports. How likely do you think that is?
Pretty likely. Iran will break before America.
Except you can’t even define what that means. How does Iran “break”? They are literally just existing in their country. Where are they supposed to go? Closing the straight was a RESPONSE to American bombings of civilian targets. Are they supposed to just let the US bomb more civilian targets or else they will keep bombing civilian targets? How does that even make sense?
Conversely, the US is spending billions of dollars to do what, exactly? What are the American people getting back on this investment? Do you really think that Americans are going to tolerate increased costs of every product they purchase forever just to achieve the ……. that is the goal of this whole enterprise?
I read somewhere that Iran can close the strait without a full-scale naval engagement using selective drone strikes and harassing vessels, Iran triggers a spike in maritime insurance premiums which will choke shipping companies. Also because of the narrow width of the strait, also shallow, Iran can use mines, they have both simple contact mines to sophisticated “smart” mines, apparently they possesses one of the largest naval mine inventories in the world.
They’re a petrostate with a hopelessly outdated air force, the US or any other developed country can destroy their infrastructure at their leisure and bring their economy to it’s knees. Which they would happily do if Iran sinks a vessel flagged in their waters.
They also need a working vessel to lay those mines.
You realize that threats like this don’t work AFTER you already did it, right?
There will be something they haven’t hit yet.
Sure, and they are going to bomb it regardless, you see the problem with killing the people you were negotiating with? The next guy isn’t going to come to the table.
Think Americans are going to give up all their comforts and wealth just to bump off Iran?
vaultdweller013Also just to add to your point. Even if Trump and Co try to force away those conforts how long till you start getting little IRA style sessesionist groups? The US powergrid alone is a rather vast vulnerability.
bthestlol a country and people that has built literally existed for thousands of years hosting multiple land empire is a petrostate.
Fucking MAGA brains.
The Iranian nation as we know it only came into existence with the fall of the Shah.
The land will always be there, the regime, not so much.
GuyIncognitoLmao, what fucking reality do you live in. The war is already going on, they’ve been attacking iran for like 2 weeks now. What is this “the USA can DESTROY them if they DARE target our ships” shit? Strait’s closed. try and open it, bitch
Those are fair points. They don’t need to block all targeted traffic. They just have to be enough of a threat/pain in the ass for transportation and insurance rates to go up to an uncomfortable level. It’s all about threat and perception.
Sure, the US air force and navy could bomb the shit out of their artillery placements. But given how (relatively) cheap and effective drones are, that might not be as effective as it seems at first.
Losing Air superiority doesn’t mean their artillery stops working.
It’s already closed. The threat and the resulting insurance pull is all that’s needed.
reuters.com/…/greek-operated-tanker-with-saudi-oi…
Someone called their bluff.
ComradeSharkfuckerConsidering it has signficantly affected oil prices. Yes.
A large amount of ships are currently stuck in the persian gulf. A significant portion of this is because they do not want to take the risk. The threat is enough to be effective but Iran is also enforcing it.
Iran can close the straight with like 2 dudes with RPGs.
I’m picturing two Iranian guys, sitting in beach chairs next to the straight, sipping coctails, next to a crate marked “RPG”.
Plot twist, the crate is full of Monster Manuals and Dungeon Keepers Guides, and the guys were just hoping to have a fun afternoon.
dreadbeefOil tankers tend to be a pretty risk-averse group. They’re not going to risk getting hit and having their multi-million dollar cargo go up in flames, even if the risk of getting hit while transiting the strait is relatively low.
wheezyTrade ships will redirect at even the threat of being met with any confrontation. It is not worth the risk. Iran doesn’t need a Navy to do this either. They need a couple dudes with AKs in a speedboat.
Don’t even need to get near the ocean, they can just sit inland and launch drones and rockets like the Houthis did.
Yep. Which is why I’m really confused by the reports of them “mining” it today. I’m really wondering if it’s just a fake “win” the US is trying to manufacture.
Maybe they are trying to do it. But it doesn’t make sense at all with their messages of allowing passage to states that boot US and Israeli ambassadors. Even if the mines can be deactivated it still doesn’t make sense strategically for Iran to do that.
Was watching the reporting live with CBS saying that Iran was placing mines. Then Trump gets on and says we stopped them from doing it. Just doesn’t add up at all.
Every major news outlet is complicit. Charlie’s Broadcast Station is America’s second Fox News now.
I think it’s that Iran knows how our chickenshit post-industrialized vibe economy works. Just claiming they’ve mined the straight causesing the market to shit it’s pants regardless of it it’s true or not.