This deployment defied explicit Iranian threats to close the waterway. It coincided with an escalation in the West's confrontation with Iran over the country's nuclear ambitions.
European Union foreign ministers are today expected to announce an embargo on Iranian oil exports, amounting to the most significant package of sanctions yet agreed. They are also likely to impose a partial freeze on assets held by the Iranian Central Bank in the EU.
Tehran has threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation. Tankers carrying 17 million barrels of oil pass through this waterway every day, accounting for 35 per cent of the world's seaborne crude shipments. At its narrowest point, located between Iran and Oman, the Strait is only 21 miles wide.
Last month, Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, commander of the Iranian navy, claimed that closing the Strait would be "easy," adding: "As Iranians say, it will be easier than drinking a glass of water."
But USS Abraham Lincoln, a nuclear-powered carrier capable of embarking 90 aircraft, passed through this channel and entered the Gulf without incident yesterday. HMS Argyll, a Type 23 frigate from the Royal Navy, was one of the escort vessels making up the carrier battle-group. A guided missile cruiser and two destroyers from the US Navy completed the flotilla, along with one warship from the French navy.
All three countries retain a permanent military presence in the Gulf, but a joint passage through the Strait of Hormuz by all of their respective navies is highly unusual. The flotilla will have passed within a few miles of the Iranian coastline.
A western official denied this was a provocative move intended to increase the pressure on Iran. The goal was simply to "illustrate international resolve" to guarantee free movement of shipping through a vital artery of the world economy, he said.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman confirmed that "HMS Argyll and a French vessel joined a US carrier group transiting through the Strait of Hormuz to underline the unwavering international commitment to maintaining rights of passage under international law."
The spokesman added that Britain maintains a "constant presence in the region as part of our enduring contribution to Gulf security". Royal Navy warships have been patrolling the region continuously since 1980.
Abraham Lincoln's entry into the Gulf came in defiance of an explicit warning from Iran. Earlier this month, General Ataollah Salehi, commander of the country's armed forces, threatened to respond with "full force" if any US carrier ventured into the region's waters. "We don't have the intention of repeating our warning, and we warn only once," he said.
The Islamic Republic then held a naval exercise in the Strait of Hormuz. More Iranian military manoeuvres, code-named Exercise Noble Prophet, are expected in the waterway later this week.
Another carrier, USS Carl Vinson, has been in the Gulf and the surrounding region for several months. Abraham Lincoln's arrival means a return to the two-carrier deployment that America has retained in the area for many years.
Each of these Nimitz class vessels carries a complement of fighter aircraft with more striking power than the entire Iranian air force. Their presence widens the options open to Western governments should Tehran attempt to retaliate for tighter sanctions by harassing international shipping lanes.
Iran could do so by laying launching attacks using warships or land-based anti-shipping missiles. Each of these threats could be countered using carrier-based aircraft.
However, officials believe that the balance of forces against Iran makes any such move against the Strait of Hormuz highly unlikely. Iran has an interest in talking up the possibility because this can raise oil prices and increase its own revenue at a time when its economy is in severe difficulties.
One official added that no government should dismiss these threats, pointing to Iran's actual disruption of shipping in the Gulf in the late 1980s. Another option that would fall short of launching classic military strikes would be for Iran to lay mines in shipping lanes.
All US warships deployed in the Gulf, the Red Sea and the western half of the Indian Ocean are controlled by US Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain. The Royal Navy also has a small permanent staff based in the Gulf kingdom.
European Union foreign ministers are today expected to announce an embargo on Iranian oil exports, amounting to the most significant package of sanctions yet agreed. They are also likely to impose a partial freeze on assets held by the Iranian Central Bank in the EU.
Tehran has threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation. Tankers carrying 17 million barrels of oil pass through this waterway every day, accounting for 35 per cent of the world's seaborne crude shipments. At its narrowest point, located between Iran and Oman, the Strait is only 21 miles wide.
Last month, Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, commander of the Iranian navy, claimed that closing the Strait would be "easy," adding: "As Iranians say, it will be easier than drinking a glass of water."
But USS Abraham Lincoln, a nuclear-powered carrier capable of embarking 90 aircraft, passed through this channel and entered the Gulf without incident yesterday. HMS Argyll, a Type 23 frigate from the Royal Navy, was one of the escort vessels making up the carrier battle-group. A guided missile cruiser and two destroyers from the US Navy completed the flotilla, along with one warship from the French navy.
All three countries retain a permanent military presence in the Gulf, but a joint passage through the Strait of Hormuz by all of their respective navies is highly unusual. The flotilla will have passed within a few miles of the Iranian coastline.
A western official denied this was a provocative move intended to increase the pressure on Iran. The goal was simply to "illustrate international resolve" to guarantee free movement of shipping through a vital artery of the world economy, he said.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman confirmed that "HMS Argyll and a French vessel joined a US carrier group transiting through the Strait of Hormuz to underline the unwavering international commitment to maintaining rights of passage under international law."
The spokesman added that Britain maintains a "constant presence in the region as part of our enduring contribution to Gulf security". Royal Navy warships have been patrolling the region continuously since 1980.
Abraham Lincoln's entry into the Gulf came in defiance of an explicit warning from Iran. Earlier this month, General Ataollah Salehi, commander of the country's armed forces, threatened to respond with "full force" if any US carrier ventured into the region's waters. "We don't have the intention of repeating our warning, and we warn only once," he said.
The Islamic Republic then held a naval exercise in the Strait of Hormuz. More Iranian military manoeuvres, code-named Exercise Noble Prophet, are expected in the waterway later this week.
Another carrier, USS Carl Vinson, has been in the Gulf and the surrounding region for several months. Abraham Lincoln's arrival means a return to the two-carrier deployment that America has retained in the area for many years.
Each of these Nimitz class vessels carries a complement of fighter aircraft with more striking power than the entire Iranian air force. Their presence widens the options open to Western governments should Tehran attempt to retaliate for tighter sanctions by harassing international shipping lanes.
Iran could do so by laying launching attacks using warships or land-based anti-shipping missiles. Each of these threats could be countered using carrier-based aircraft.
However, officials believe that the balance of forces against Iran makes any such move against the Strait of Hormuz highly unlikely. Iran has an interest in talking up the possibility because this can raise oil prices and increase its own revenue at a time when its economy is in severe difficulties.
One official added that no government should dismiss these threats, pointing to Iran's actual disruption of shipping in the Gulf in the late 1980s. Another option that would fall short of launching classic military strikes would be for Iran to lay mines in shipping lanes.
All US warships deployed in the Gulf, the Red Sea and the western half of the Indian Ocean are controlled by US Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain. The Royal Navy also has a small permanent staff based in the Gulf kingdom.
8 comments:
Once again Iran is trying to appear as force that is stronger than the United States by trying to keep oil from us. I agree with the European Union foreign ministers wanting an embargo on Iranian oil. This may be too big of a step for us to take but it is an example that we can learn from. I believe this is just a threat but I am glad that our military is staying in the gulf and ready to act against any wrong-doing from Iran. Iran is the king of making warnings but the warning are normally followed without any actions but again I am happy for our military and their fighting spirits.
I think that we (the US) are just provoking Iran and should not be surprised if they retaliate. Just because some people think "Iran has an interest in talking up the possibility because this can raise oil prices and increase its own revenue," doesn't mean it's true and doesn't mean that we should completely ignore Iran's threats. Their threat of closing the Strait completely would cause major problems and there would be next to nothing that we could do.
Its good to see that the US is not backing down and is maintaining a strong military presence because if not then Iran would do what ever it wanted to do and that would cause major problems in oil prices and to its neighboring countries. Sun Tzu once said "For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill". This looks like we can chalk up another win for the US, but this is not the first time that they have challenged us and nor will it be the last. So its good that even though were pulling out of the Middle East that we are still keeping an eye on our troubled neighbors.
Well, the EU is definitely sending a statement. One that I see as a little stronger than necessary. I don't really understand why if Iran wants to block the Straight, then why don't they just place their biggest ships in the smallest pass with an arsenal around it? Making a big deal about it but not doing anything is not really going to help them win their case; it is just going to make us try to prove them wrong.
Wow,
This is the first time in the past 4 years that anything this serious has happened and has changed the mood of this particular area so much. I mean there's always been sanctions and threats but this seems very serious. Adding to the article is that US threatened Iran that they will stop buying Oil from Iran 6 months after the Straight Of Hormuz got closed and Iran retaliated by saying they will stop selling the next day. I mean it seems very serious. The sanctions don't have a lot of effect on Iran anymore. They seem to be pretty much independent.
I believe the presidential election is the most important thing that can affect this situation. I believe Democratic and Republican parties have completely different views on this issue.
If Iran plans to continue their threats with full force (as they so claimed) then why not enforce that claimed "no tolerance" when France and the US sent their warships though the Straight? I understand that on the UK and Fance's part that it was a way to show the international understanding of the situation and tension, but if Iran was so dead set on threatening to close and attack anyone that goes through, then why not then? It's of course (like the article said) to keep oil prices high to help their already deteriorated economy, to squeeze out as much as they can for so ridiculous of situation. It's all politics and business, but I'm pretty sure there are other ways that Iran could reboot their economy without extortioning off of other nations. But, its the way of the polititcal game.
The movement of British, French, and American warships through the Strait of Hormuz shows that the West is unwilling to give in to Iran's warnings and demands. The likelihood of Iranian action closing the Strait of Hormuz is certainly not going to lessen now that Western ships have moved into the Gulf. However, the ability of the Iranian navy to close the strait is very suspect, so the saber rattling between Iran and the United States will most likely continue. The commander of the Iranian navy claimed that closing the Strait would be as easier than drinking a glass of water. In the face of a US aircraft carrier, this may be an accurate statement-the chances of finding a glass of water in the arid and semi-arid regions of the country are indeed very small. It is very doubtful that Iran would be able to close the Strait of Hormuz against economic and military pressure from the Western world.
The Iranian government is simply attempting to use every ounce of international publicity to maintain an illusion of power. Like a robber giving a note that claims he has a gun yet does not actually possess any such weapon, Iran makes idle threats against the international community. The international flotilla was obviously to call them on their bull as well as to show that if need be, the power to launch a crippling assault lies in wait in their very gulf. In my opinion Iran seems to be attempting to make a scene to increase their intimidation factor. And I for one hope that for the thousands of innocents living in that country this is indeed the case.
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