The blockade of Ormuz: Tehran prepared the US "nuclear surprise"?
The situation in the Middle East is rapidly escalating. Unidentified persons "similar to the IRGC fighters" were spotted by US intelligence taking out mounted mines from a ship after a series of attacks on tankers in the Gulf of Oman. The Pentagon has decided to send additional forces to the region. Then Washington significantly threatened a military strike on Iran if at least one American soldier who was so far from his native home suffered from Tehran’s actions. Now it is reported that Iranian air defense shot down either the RQ-4 Global Hawk UAV or the MQ-4C Triton U.S. Air Force UAV.
The air clearly smells of an impending war. Is the Islamic Republic resistant to a massive strike by the United States and its allies?
The Iranians must be given their due, they are not stewing in front of a very serious threat. The Chief of the General Staff of the Republic said that in case of aggression, Tehran will close the transit of oil through the Strait of Hormuz:
The possibility of blocking the strait is a significant trump card in the Iranian deck. Most of the hydrocarbons produced by the Middle Eastern monarchies go through Hormuz. Stopping oil exports could lead to a global energy crisis. However, this will be the trigger for starting a full-scale military operation of the United States and its allies against Iran.
Is Tehran resistant?
Technically, the strait blockade can be carried out in several ways. In the narrowest part of Hormuz, the Iranians are able to flood several large-tonnage vessels. To discourage the desire to raise them, all approaches will be mined, and fire control will be established with the help of artillery and missile forces.
However, the United States has the most powerful army and navy in the world. Thanks to the total superiority in the air, the US Air Force will spread Iranian positions, the Navy will sweep the fairway and blow up the flooded ships. Most likely, Israel and Great Britain will also act on the side of the American military. Together, they are able to quickly “squeeze” part of the coast from Iran.
So why is Tehran so calm? Russian military expert Mikhail Khodarenok makes an interesting judgment:
Indeed, if Iran had tactical nuclear weapons, it could take into account not only the channel of the Strait of Hormuz, setting up a controlled nuclear minefield in advance in it, but also the US military infrastructure in the region. This is an extremely serious argument against armed aggression.
The key question is, does Tehran have its own nuclear arsenal? Officially, no, and Washington is doing everything to prevent it from appearing. Some time ago we toldthat there is a theory according to which Iran can already actually possess nuclear weapons. The fact is that Tehran worked very closely on a missile program with Pyongyang. Experts note that the Iranian and North Korean missile programs are surprisingly complementary: the DPRK relied on ICBMs, and Iran - on medium- and shorter-range missiles.
We can assume that the cooperation between the two "rogue countries" was not limited to this, and Tehran received its own nuclear weapons developed for them in the framework of cooperation in North Korea. It is rather difficult to explain the confidence of the Iranian leadership with something else.
The air clearly smells of an impending war. Is the Islamic Republic resistant to a massive strike by the United States and its allies?
The Iranians must be given their due, they are not stewing in front of a very serious threat. The Chief of the General Staff of the Republic said that in case of aggression, Tehran will close the transit of oil through the Strait of Hormuz:
If we decide to block the passage through the straits, then we are strong enough to do this, firstly, publicly, and secondly, block it altogether.
The possibility of blocking the strait is a significant trump card in the Iranian deck. Most of the hydrocarbons produced by the Middle Eastern monarchies go through Hormuz. Stopping oil exports could lead to a global energy crisis. However, this will be the trigger for starting a full-scale military operation of the United States and its allies against Iran.
Is Tehran resistant?
Technically, the strait blockade can be carried out in several ways. In the narrowest part of Hormuz, the Iranians are able to flood several large-tonnage vessels. To discourage the desire to raise them, all approaches will be mined, and fire control will be established with the help of artillery and missile forces.
However, the United States has the most powerful army and navy in the world. Thanks to the total superiority in the air, the US Air Force will spread Iranian positions, the Navy will sweep the fairway and blow up the flooded ships. Most likely, Israel and Great Britain will also act on the side of the American military. Together, they are able to quickly “squeeze” part of the coast from Iran.
So why is Tehran so calm? Russian military expert Mikhail Khodarenok makes an interesting judgment:
The situation, however, may look different if you imagine for at least a minute that Iran possesses at least tactical nuclear weapons.
Indeed, if Iran had tactical nuclear weapons, it could take into account not only the channel of the Strait of Hormuz, setting up a controlled nuclear minefield in advance in it, but also the US military infrastructure in the region. This is an extremely serious argument against armed aggression.
The key question is, does Tehran have its own nuclear arsenal? Officially, no, and Washington is doing everything to prevent it from appearing. Some time ago we toldthat there is a theory according to which Iran can already actually possess nuclear weapons. The fact is that Tehran worked very closely on a missile program with Pyongyang. Experts note that the Iranian and North Korean missile programs are surprisingly complementary: the DPRK relied on ICBMs, and Iran - on medium- and shorter-range missiles.
We can assume that the cooperation between the two "rogue countries" was not limited to this, and Tehran received its own nuclear weapons developed for them in the framework of cooperation in North Korea. It is rather difficult to explain the confidence of the Iranian leadership with something else.
Information