Iran plans new drills near Strait of Hormuz

Iranian Navy boats take part in maneuvers during the "Velayat-90" navy exercises in the Strait of Hormuz in southern Iran, Jan. 3, 2012, at the end day of ten-day war games. / Getty

TEHRAN, Iran - Iran is planning new military exercises near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, according to a naval commander, after threatening to close the strait and completing another set of maneuvers.

One sixth of the world's oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's threat to close the passage if the West imposes sanctions on its own oil exports unsettled an already nervous world oil market.

The semiofficial Fars news agency late Thursday quoted the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's naval commander, Adm. Ali Fadavi, as saying that the upcoming exercise would be the seventh staging of an annual drill called "The Great Prophet."

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Fadavi said the next round of war games would be "different" from previous ones. He did not elaborate. The admiral said the drill would take place in the Iranian month of Bahman, which roughly corresponds to February.

The Guards, Iran's most powerful military force, have the same air, naval and ground branches as the regular military. They are also in charge of Iran's missile program.

Iran's navy ended a 10-day drill Tuesday in the waters off the Strait.

Military officers said the purpose was to show off Iran's prowess and defense capabilities.

The drill, including widely publicized missile tests, was carried out as international criticism mounts over Tehran's nuclear program. The West believes the program is aimed at developing atomic weapons. Iran denies that, insisting that it is for peaceful purposes.

The U.S. has recently tightened sanctions on Iran, banning transaction with Iran's central bank. That could cripple Iranian oil sales by limiting financial transactions.

Iran threatened to close the strait if the West tried to limit or stop Iran's own oil exports, which account for 80 percent of the country's public revenues.

The country regularly conducts maneuvers and has also been active in fighting piracy in the Gulf of Aden.

[amir02]

In principle, however, nothing in international law or in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty forbids the enrichment of uranium. Besides Iran, several other countries, parties or not to the treaty, enrich uranium without being accused of "threatening the peace." And in Iran, this activity is submitted to inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency. These inspections, it is true, are constrained by a safeguards agreement dating from the 1970s. But it is also true that the IAEA has never uncovered in Iran any attempted diversion of nuclear material to military use.

Iran is to be independent in producing peacefull nuclear-energy-full-cycles ACCORDING TO NPT since the sanctions ban it from buying them on foreign markets. It is the purpose. Other things are TOTALLY nonsenses/BOGUS/DEFAMATION such as wipe israel off the map, wikileaks, Saudi murder plots etc LIKE IRAQ WITH WMD.

Wikileaks, Saudi Ambassador murder plot, negative IAEA report against Iran, ARE THESE ALL REALLY TRUTHFUL ? US AND ITS ALLIES HAVE NEVER PROVED THEM BUT AT LEAST USED THEM AS JUSTIFICATIONS TO INITIATED SOME ACTIONS IN THE UN SUCH AS SANCTIONS.IT IS A IRAQ WAR WITH FAKE WMD LITTERALY. THIS ACTIONS ARE COMPARABLE TO THE COMMON SITUATIONS WHERE A MUSLIM WORKING IN AN AMERICAN COMPANY IN THE US ALWAYS GETS ACCUSED OF SOMETING HE OR SHE DOESN'T DO, ONLY IN ORDER TO GET HIM FIRED FROM THE JOB WITH CAUSE. THAT IS ISLAMAPHOBIA.(IN ISLAMAPHOBIA, THERE IS NO DIFERENCE BETWEEN SHIA AND SUNNI)
Iran is not a threat to any nation. Let's support Iran to be the pioneer of peaceful nucler energy industry in the Muslim world, since there ain't any in the Muslim world yet.



A military attack will give the Iranians the best excuse to pursue the nuclear race and quit from NPT. Khamenei will say 'I was attacked by a country with nuclear capabilities; my nuclear programme was peaceful, but I must protect my country now using nukes LIKE THEM.'

UN CHARTER VII ARTICLE 51:
Provides for the right of countries to engage in military action in self-defense, including collective self-defense (i.e. under an alliance) FOR IRAN TO NONSTOP FIGHT FOR ITS RIGHTS AND FREEDOM, LIBERTY. IRAN IS A LAND OF THE BRAVES.

[wulfranoruizsainz]

The iranian navy warships look like tuna fishing boats compared to the USS Stennis. And not only look like but are indeed folksy tuna fishing vessels. The US Navy war ships should be able to sink the entire iranian Navy into the sea in about fifteen minutes.

[netjunkie1]

I would think the only thing to worry about from Iran is a sneak attack at the narrowest point on any shipping in the lanes.

[samael2014]

Beautiful!

All I did... ALL I DID... was look at the caption to a picture -- saw that "journalist" who wrote caption used the words "saber rattling" (I'm quoting the "journalist" here -- the "journalist" wasn't quoting anybody else), AND I INSTANTLY thought this must be the American Propagandist again.

I clicked the link -- and lo and behold, the article is written by ....

the AP

how pathetic is that? I can't I actually recognize their piece of crap propaganda with just a glance at a caption to a picture now.

[formerlyluvnut]

by jfb100 January 6, 2012 12:49 PM EST
Brokennews "blah blah blah"

Hey Broken-boy go read the constitution; the congress declares war, not the president.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Nooooooooooooo, Congress does NOT declare war; they simply give the President authority to do so if need be, then the President makes that declaration, based upon the approval and support of Congress.

[samael2014]

Actually... Noooooooooo, jack-ass, only Congress can declare war.

Your really are the PERFECT EXAMPLE of how truly F***KED UP this nation is.

I'm curious. Assuming you graduated from high school.. when was that for posterity?

I'm trying to figure out just when American citizens (you are a citizen aren't you), basically flushed their Constitution down the $hhit-can of ignorance.

Wow... "the President makes that declaration, based on the approval and support of Congress" -- what a piece of work you are.

[venusvegasvada]

We need to keep a close eye on them. There is no telling what they might try and pull. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if they tried to mine the Straight.

[noloyalisti]

The terrorist nation of America has threatened Iran, especially during the Bush Crime Family Reign of Terror. We are also the only nation to ever use them against people. Israel, another major terrorist nations has nuclear weapons. So what do we expect?

[bigtiny99]

from where and what types of ships do the iranians have?

[KnowerseekerReturns]

"Iran rattles its saber... again!" *Yawn*

[Michael_Sexton]

If they keep shooting their guns at imitation enemies they are going to run out of ammunition. That's not much of a strategy to keep the U.S. out of the gulf.

[kevjustice]

it is irans interest to talk threats as that may boost the price of oil, but it is against irans interest to actually do something that would actually stop the flow of oil as that would hurt their revunue from the sale of oil. military action from such a block could be devasting for iran also. iran knowns this.