Strait of Hormuz
is a Perilous Passage!
October 30, 2008
http://www.tribulationperiod.com/
When war breaks out in the Middle East the Strait of Hormuz
will be a very dangerous passage and a highly contested area.
According to the Encyclopedia of Earth two-thirds of the world’s oil is transported by ocean; straits and canals are therefore vital in reduc
ing the time and costs of transporting oil, as well as other goods, globally. Any political disturbances or upheavals can cause the “choking” of the few important straits for world oil transit and thus disrupt world oil prices.
The abundance of oil and the world’s dependence on imported oil from this region make the Strait of Hormuz one of the most important chokepoints to monitor. The strait has a width of 54 km (34 miles) and is consequently a relatively easy passageway to obstruct. Roughly 17 million billion barrels per day (bbl/d) or 40% of world’s oil passes through this strait daily.
The UAE and Iran, along with the rest of the Persian Gulf
countries (Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia), produced 27% of the world’s oil in 2003 and collectively hold more than half of the world’s total oil reserves, as reported by the Energy Information Administration (EIA). Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries import the majority of their oil from the Persian Gulf; in 2003, 11.6 million barrels per day were exported to OECD countries. The majority of oil leaving this region passes through the Strait of Hormuz.
There have been threats to disrupt passage through the Straits of the narrow seaway.
Fortunately, the strait has never actually been shut down, yet the constant political, religious, ethnic, and territorial disputes between the Persian Gulf countries has made the world anxious in anticipation of obstruction.
On September 22, 1980, Iraq invaded Iran, initiating an eight-year war between the two countries. The Iran-Iraq war was the manifestation of deeply rooted religious and ethnic divisions, border conflicts, and political differences. Religious and ethnic divides between the Sunnis and the Shias, coupled with personal hostility between Saddam Hussein and Ayatollah Khomeini, then-leaders of Iraq and Iran respectively, added to the tension.
In 1984, Iran threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz after repeated attacks by Iraq disrupted Iranian shipping.
However, in order to continue exporting oil and maintain its economy, Iran needed to keep the strait open and ultimately backed down from this threat.
Another threat to the Strait of Hormuz involves the ongoing dispute between the UAE and Iran over three islands – Abu Musa, Greater Tunb Island, and Lesser Tunb Island – all located near the Strait of Hormuz. The island Abu Musa is of particular interest because it is thought to contain large deposits of oil. By 1992, Iran managed to informally secure the islands even though no official agreement had been made with
the UAE.
The Gulf Cooperation Council and the UAE are reluctant to interfere for fear that Iran will retaliate by closing the strait.
Claims to the islands are still being disputed, yet Iran has asserted dominance by developing military stations on these islands, particularly guarding Abu Musa. Such development on these strategic islands will only facilitate Iran’s capability to close off the straits and defend itself against US military attacks.
In 1997, Iran once again threatened to close the strait if the United States attempted to interfere with Iranian terrorism against other Persian Gulf countries.
Although Iran has yet to follow through on its threats to close the strait, if it were to happen, alternative routes would need to be utilized. This could add to transportation costs and forestall the global distribution of oil, causing oil prices to increase.
Petroleum is the single most important commodity in today’s world. Our dependence on this resource can be felt in the way society reacts to even minor shifts in oil markets. With demand and consumption increasing, mankind’s dependence on oil only continues to grow. Our dependence is such, that any minor interference in the production or distribution of oil has profound economic and political consequences. Because oil being exported through the Strait of Hormuz is projected to increase, ensuring the flow of oil through this hostile region will continue to be a crucial issue in the years to come.
Begin Excerpt from DEBKAfile Special Report
New Iranian naval base can block Strait of Hormuz, confront Israeli subs
DEBKAfile Special Report
October 28, 2008, 12:23 PM (GMT+02:00)
Iran’s naval chief Adm. Habibollah Sayyari told state radio Tuesday, Oct,.28, that the base could be used to block the entry of any “enemy” into the Persian Gulf. Iran has warned it would close the narrow Strait of Hormuz, through which 40 percent of the world’s oil passes, if the US attacked its nuclear installations.
The new base is in the port town of Jask on Iran’s sou theastern coast opposite
the point where
the Gulf of Oman flows into the strait.
DEBKAfile’s military sources note the additional advantages of its location for Tehran are quick access to the Red Sea, Indian Ocean and Horn of Africa and support for three objectives:
1. A naval presence opposite the Gulfs of Oman and Aden, where Israeli maintains Dolphin submarines. For Tehran their presence is part of Israel’s belligerent posture opposite Iran.
2. Intensified military involvement in Sudan on the Red Sea.
3. As a counterweight for the US, NATO and Russian naval might building up off the pirate-ridden Somali coast. From Tehran, this build-up looks like a potential threat to its maritime supply lanes and oil export routes.
FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner.
We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.
For more detailed information go to:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml.
You may use material originated by this site. However, if you wish to use any quoted copyrighted material from this site, which did not originate at this site, for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner from which we extracted it.