Iran menaces to launch a “Hormuz closing” maneuver

: Posted On Tuesday, 13 December 2011 08:58

World Naval Forces News - Iran

Iran menaces to launch a “Hormuz closing” maneuver

Iran plans to launch a maneuver that will close down the Hormuz strait, a member of Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Parviz Sururi said, ISNA reported.

"If the international community wants an insecure region, we will make the world insecure as well. We will carry out a maneuver that will close down the Strait of Hormuz," Sururi said.

Over 70% of world's energy transits go through Middle East and the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian Navy warships
(picture: Mehr)

The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow, strategically important waterway between the Gulf of Oman in the southeast and the Persian Gulf. On the north coast is Iran and on the south coast is the United Arab Emirates and Musandam, an exclave of Oman.

The strait at its narrowest is 54 kilometers wide. It is the only sea passage to the open ocean for large areas of the petroleum-exporting Persian Gulf. Over 10 tankers carrying 15.5 million barrels (2,460,000 m3) of crude oil pass through the strait on an average day, making it one of the world's most strategically important choke points.
From: TREND News Agency