U.S. naval study: Iran expanding control over Strait of Hormuz

Tehran has long threatened U.S. interests in the Middle East, as well as oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, should its nuclear facilities come under attack by the United States or Israel. A recent study by the U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence reveals that Iran has been working to make sure it can back up these threats.

United Press International reports that

the Islamic Republic is reported to be expanding its naval power in the oil-rich Gulf and the Arabian Sea to be able to command the chokepoint Strait of Hormuz, the only way in or out of the Gulf.Closing that strategic waterway to maritime traffic, especially the 15 or so supertankers that sail through it every day delivering the world’s oil supplies, would trigger an economic crisis that could cripple the painful efforts to recover from the global financial meltdown of 2008.The U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence reported in a recent study that came to light a few days ago that overall operational control of naval and coastal missile forces in the region is now in the hands of the increasingly powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps., which has its own naval arm.

The Strait of Hormuz is the second-busiest international strait and the most important oil chokepoint in the world, with about 40 percent of the globally traded oil supply flowing through it. Iran, which borders the strait, has the capability to effectively throw the world oil trade into crisis.

upi continues:

According to the naval study, the Revolutionary Guards have expanded their naval capabilities in recent years with ships and technology from China, North Korea and Italy and now deploy some of the fastest naval vessels in the region.

The Iranians have built or expanded several naval bases along the eastern shore of the Persian Gulf in the past two or three years, upi reports. Tehran controls the eastern shore of the Gulf from its northern end right down to the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran also controls several small but strategic islands that dominate the shipping lanes in the southern waters of the Gulf.Batteries of anti-ship missiles, primarily Chinese-designed C-801 and C-802 missiles, have been deployed on these islands that could be used to block the strait.But sea mines are seen as the most potent threat to shipping, and the Iranians are believed to have a significant number of these in their arsenal.

Iran’s threat to close the Strait of Hormuz—together with its ability to further complicate U.S. efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan—is indeed a heavy deterrent to attacks on its nuclear facilities. But Iran will not be able to belligerently push at the rest of the world indefinitely. Bible prophecy reveals that a German-led European power is destined to deal decisively with the Iranian threat. For more, read our booklet The King of the South.