Iran on Monday threatened to close the vital Strait of Hormuz waterway in response to the announcement that the White House would no longer issue exemptions for states to buy Iranian oil sanctioned by the United States.
“According to international law, the Strait of Hormuz is a marine passageway and if we are barred from using it, we will shut it down,” warned General Alireza Tangsiri according to the semi-official news agency Fars.
“In case of any threat, we will have not even an iota of doubt to protect and defend the Iranian waters,” Tangsiri added.
The Strait of Hormuz has been the scene of a number of naval confrontations between Iran and the US and has more recently become a point of friction between the two countries since Washington’s withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear accord.
Nearly a third of all international naval oil shipments pass through the Strait, and is strategically vital for the US as Bahrain, a key US ally in the Gulf, hosts the US Navy's Fifth Fleet with around 7,800 US military personnel deployed in the country, as well as a British naval base.
Iran's leaders have numerous times warned that the strategic waterway could be shut down in retaliation for sanctions placed on the Persian country.
In its latest aggressive step to counter Tehran the United States said it would start imposing sanctions on friends such as India that buy Iranian oil.
Other countries that will be affected include China and Turkey, opening up new friction in contentious relationships if the United States goes ahead with sanctions against buying Iranian oil. (Read More)
