Sputnik News/Moscow with questionable sourcing from the Wall Street Journal:
Tehran earlier warned Washington against limiting its energy exports, vowing to otherwise close the exit from the Persian Gulf. Considering that a significant part of the world’s oil exports goes through the strait at the Gulf’s mouth, such a blockade could strongly affect the global energy market.
The Iranian Students’ News Agency reported, citing Navy Commander Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi, that Iran has deployed 58 fleets to the northern Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden, situated just outside of the Persian Gulf — the source to a major part of the world’s oil exports.
In an address to the people of Semnan Province on 4 December, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani reiterated threats to prevent all oil exports from the Persian Gulf in the event the US curbs Tehran’s own exports.
“If someday, the United States decides to block Iran’s oil [exports], no oil will be exported from the Persian Gulf,” Rouhani said.
The Iranian president also vowed that ultimately the US won’t be able to halt Tehran’s oil trade and promised that the country will emerge victorious from the confrontation with Washington.
Relations between the US and Iran took a nosedive after US President Trump announced the country would be exiting the Iranian nuclear deal and re-imposing sanctions against Tehran’s energy and banking sectors. In return, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and other Iranian officials warned the US against attempting to curb Tehran’s oil trade, promising to block the Strait of Hormuz, the only exit from the Persian Gulf — one of the key sources of oil exports in the world.
In December, the US announced it would be sending an aircraft carrier strike group to the Persian Gulf in the near future after a decades-long absence of the US fleet in the region. The group is expected to maintain a presence in the region for around two months to “provide deterrence” against any potentially hostile Iranian activity in the waters, an unnamed official told The Wall Street Journal.
and from Press TV in Iran:
No oil will go through Persian Gulf if US targets Iran’s crude exports: Rouhani
President Hassan Rouhani has reaffirmed that the United States will not be able to stop Iran’s oil sales, warning that no crude will find its way out of the Persian Gulf should Washington attempt to target Iranian crude exports.
“The US should know [this] that we are selling and will continue to sell our oil and it will not be able to block Iran’s oil exports. And it should also know that if it attempts to stop Iran’s oil [sales] someday, no oil will be exported from the Persian Gulf,” he said during a speech on Tuesday in the city of Shahroud, Semnan Province.
Rouhani further noted that Washington had failed in its declared aims of stopping Iran’s crude exports, choking its trade with the world, and isolating the country regionally and internationally.
“Our great nation proved to be the ultimate victor of this battle on all stages,” the president said.
Washington has re-imposed its unilateral anti-Iran sanctions, including an oil embargo, after withdrawing from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and major powers in May in defiance of international objections.
The US had initially vowed to reduce Iran’s oil sales to “zero” under the bans, but it later backed down and granted waivers to almost all of Tehran’s major crude buyers.
Oil prices remain at four-year highs on concerns over looming US sanctions against Iran which is pledging to continue production at full force.
“The US should know that our people will preserve their cultural, economic, and political relations with the countries of the region and the world,” he added.
“We will expand our relationship with neighbors, Muslim countries, and the world,” Rouhani said. The Islamic Republic, he added, is not adversarial towards any of its neighbors.
The president further underscored the Iranian nation’s “great victories” of the past 40 years in the fight against “the oppressive and tyrannical enemy,” referring to the US.
He further pointed out a number of defeats the US has suffered in its hostile plots, including staging a coup, undermining the economy through sanctions and breaking away the southern province of Khuzestan from the country.
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says a US decision to set up a team to coordinate pressures on Tehran is yet another bid to topple the Iranian government.
‘US, Israel detest powerful Iran’
The US and Israel cannot tolerate the existence of a powerful Iran, he said, adding that the Iranian nation would never bow down to them.
Rouhani said the US animosity towards Iran has drawn no backing except from the Tel Aviv regime and a few small states, adding that Washington has even failed to win support for such a policy at the United Nations and the International Court of Justice.
“Our nation will not allow a smile to appear on the face of the enemy,” he stated. “We will build an Iran, which is more powerful than ever before.”
With friends like Israel and Saudi Arabia who needs enemies?
I am beyond tired of the United States Military being used as an attack dog by the Israelis. Let Israel and Netanyahu start fighting their own wars to maintain their Middle East Empire.
There is no benefit to having Israel as an “Ally” None Nada Zilch!
It is a one way street that only puts our Troops in harm’s way with no benefits to America. We need to make Israel return to it’s 1948 borders and sanction them if they won’t.
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