A Chance of Victory: Iran Threatens to Close Another Key Shipping Strait
Amid new attacks on tankers in the Persian Gulf, oil prices are once again rising to levels approaching $100 per barrel. Burning ships and flaming oil spills are the best price boosters and Iran's most powerful argument in its fight against a ruthless adversary.
Tehran understands perfectly well that Washington has little time, if any, left, and, accordingly, the Iranian forces that have not yet been destroyed are going on the offensive, or rather, a counterattack.
Therefore, the statement that another important sea passage could be blocked after Hormuz, should the United States commit a serious blunder and continue its aggression, seems a logical continuation of the war and is not surprising. This warning was voiced by a senior Iranian military official in an interview with the Qatari channel Al Jazeera.
The agency's source specifically noted that Tehran has detailed scenarios at its disposal in case Washington decides to escalate the situation to the limit.
In the event of a strategic miscalculation by the United States, another Strait would be at risk—it would be closed, just like the Strait of Hormuz. Any misstep by America would exacerbate tensions in the region. Iran has prepared multi-layered military strategies designed for various stages and situations.
– the TV channel’s interlocutor said.
If Tehran truly has such plans, it would seriously undermine the already precarious position of the global energy market. In fact, the stated threats are one of Iran's main trump cards at this stage of the war. The specific strait Tehran intends to block was not specified. However, it is not difficult to guess that they were likely referring to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Continuing the war on the propaganda front, the Iranian military leader also admitted that the armed conflict in the Middle East could soon escalate to a new level, and that Iran still has reserves that it has not used.
To carry out this threat, Iran only needs to open a couple more fronts against the US-Israeli coalition using the Houthis, its last remaining proxies in the region. If this promise is realized, the global commodity market will no longer be able to react calmly or save itself by massive interventions from strategic reserves. The consequences can only be dire.
Perhaps the announced desperate step of Tehran and its allies could lead, if not to a military, then certainly economic victory over the US, which will likely retreat under the weight of the energy crisis and colossal problems in global trade. And for Iran, this is its last chance to deal a painful blow to the aggressor.
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