US Navy responds to Iran threats

Tag: oil seals

The U.S. Navy and its Gulf allies will not allow Iran to seal off the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the commander of American naval forces in the Persian Gulf said Wednesday.

Vice Adm. Kevin Cosgriff, commander of the 5th Fleet, made the warning during talks with naval commanders of Gulf countries in the United Arab Emirates capital of Abu Dhabi. The one-day meeting was to focus on the security of the region's maritime and trade routes and the threat of terrorism and rampant pirate activity.

The 5th Fleet is based in Bahrain, across the Gulf from Iran. Cosgriff said that if Iran choked off the Strait of Hormuz, it would be "saying to the world that 40% of oil is now held hostage by a single country."

"We will not allow Iran to close it," he told the conference of Gulf naval commanders, maritime experts and reporters.

Cosgriff's comments follow Iranian threats that it could seal off the key passageway if there were a Western attack on Tehran. But Cosgriff said the "international community would find its voice rapidly" if Iran were to close the key strait.

Earlier this week, Cosgriff said in Bahrain that any such action by Iran would be viewed as an act of war.

Twenty-five million barrels of oil, worth about US$3 billion, pass through Hormuz every day, Cosgriff said.

Tension has been high between Iran and the West over accusations that Tehran is supporting Shiite militias in Iraq and using its nuclear program as cover for weapons development. Iran denies both claims.

The narrow Strait of Hormuz is particularly sensitive and has been the scene of close encounters between U.S. and Iranian sailors.

In a Jan. 6 incident, five small Iranian high-speed boats charged U.S. warships and threatened to blow up the convoy. In mid-December, a U.S. ship fired a warning shot at a small Iranian boat that came too close, causing the Iranians to pull back.

Senior U.S. military officials have warned Iran about the risk of triggering an unintended conflict if its boats continue to harass American ships in the Gulf.

Britain has also tangled with the Iranians in the Gulf. Last year, Iran seized 15 British sailors and marines while they were searching a merchant ship off the coast of Iraq. Iran released the Britons after almost two weeks.

"As we've seen from previous difficulties in the Gulf, there's a real chance that somebody may behave badly," said Rear Admiral George Zambellas, commander of the U.K. Maritime Force.

In the event of an attack, "the response would be significant," Zambellas told The Associated Press at Wednesday's meeting.

Zambellas and Cosgriff both refused to rule out the possibility of more close encounters with the Iranians in the future.

The U.S. Navy normally keeps some three dozen warships and auxiliary vessels in the area, Cosgriff said. It currently has one aircraft carrier operating in the Gulf.

"I am concerned about the ability of that country to control its forces or the Republican Guards," he said, referring to Iran's paramilitary force. "This is not the time to engage in irresponsible behavior. Every U.S. captain is fully ready to defend his or her ship."