Armada of naval power massing in the Gulf as Israel prepares an Iran strike

[The Hammer]

From The Telegraph:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...an-strike.html

An armada of US and British naval power is massing in the Persian Gulf in the belief that Israel is considering a pre-emptive strike against Iran's covert nuclear weapons programme.

Battleships, aircraft carriers, minesweepers and submarines from 25 nations are converging on the strategically important Strait of Hormuz in an unprecedented show of force as Israel and Iran move towards the brink of war.

Western leaders are convinced that Iran will retaliate to any attack by attempting to mine or blockade the shipping lane through which passes around 18 million barrels of oil every day, approximately 35 per cent of the world's petroleum traded by sea.

A blockade would have a catastrophic effect on the fragile economies of Britain, Europe the United States and Japan, all of which rely heavily on oil and gas supplies from the Gulf.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most congested international waterways. It is only 21 miles wide at its narrowest point and is bordered by the Iranian coast to the north and the United Arab Emirates to the south.

[Left Hook Tua]

i hope they don't hurt iran's oil.

ppl are ok but i'd be piss if the jews hit an oil well.

[Left Hook Tua]

Why can't Iran just stop oil production to the West and cripple them without going to war?

Israel reminds me of a victim of bullying. Years and years of oppression and persecution and they are now the bully. The victim always turns into the bully.

Maybe they should follow Buddhism, but Im pretty sure the Torah teaches compassion. Why are they always acting like this?

because them stopping oil production won't cripple the west.

also stopping oil production will cripple their economy.

[Mike Tyson77]

WWIII or End Times....maybe both.........either way Iran will become a hole in the ground if the U.S. war machine is unleashed upon it.

[Jam Jars]

TEHRAN has warned Israel that "nothing will remain" of its state if it decides to launch an attack on Iran.

The leader of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, General Mohammad Jafari, also warned that Iran might close the Straits of Hormuz if it were attacked, withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and attack US bases in the Middle East.

"Our response to Israel is clear: I think nothing will remain of Israel," General Jafari told a news conference in Tehran.

"Given Israel's small land area and its vulnerability to a massive volume of Iran's missiles, I don't think any spot in Israel will remain safe."

He also said Iran warned that oil shipments through the strategic Straits of Hormuz would be in jeopardy if a war broke out between Iran and the US.

"If a war breaks out where one side is Iran and the other side is the West and US, it's natural that a problem should occur in the Strait of Hormuz. Export of energy will be harmed. It's natural that this will happen," General Jafari said.

He said any counter-attack from Iran would begin near Israel's borders - an apparent reference to Hezbollah in Lebanon, to Israel's north, and Hamas in Gaza, to Israel's south.

Hezbollah is believed to have about 40,000 missiles in the south of Lebanon near the border with Israel.

In the event of a counter-attack, Iran may ask Hezbollah, a close ally, to become involved.

General Jafari's unusually detailed warning came as Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, took to US television to increase pressure on President Barack Obama to draw "red lines".

Mr Netanyahu wants Mr Obama to state at what point of development of Iran's nuclear program will the US agree to intervene militarily.

The US has refused to do so, saying such judgments need to be made according to circumstances.

Iran insists its program is for civilian purposes but Mr Netanyahu told US television that Iran was six to seven months from being able to develop a bomb.

"In six months or so, they'll be 90 per cent of the way there," he said.

"You have to place that red line before them now, before it's too late."

After Mr Netanyahu's appearance, the US Secretary of Defence, Leon Panetta, said: "The fact is, look, presidents of the United States, prime ministers of Israel or any other country, leaders of these countries, don't have, you know, a bunch of red lines that determine their decisions."

Mr Netanyahu has been calling for months for the US to specify the red lines.

His critics in Israel argue that he is already seen as supporting the candidacy of Republican Mitt Romney and that by repeating the calls for red lines so close to the November 6 US election, he is putting undue pressure on Mr Obama.

One of Israel's leading commentators, Nahum Barnea, wrote in Yedioth Ahronoth that while Mr Netanyahu's focus over the past year had led to increased sanctions, the effectiveness of the approach had changed.

"Israeli pressure (recently) caused more harm than good," he wrote.

"The public conflict with the American administration weakened Israel's deterring power; got the state involved, against its better interests, in the US elections race; caused unnecessary economic and political danger; and did not in any way advance the struggle to stop Iran."

Netanyahu's supporters argue that Iran is an existential threat to Israel and it is Mr Netanyahu's duty to put as much pressure as he can on the US.

Mr Netanyahu was asked at the weekend by Israel Hayom newspaper whether he was in conflict with the US.

"This isn't a conflict," he said. "This is a matter of stressing the Israeli interest and that is the responsibility of the Prime Minister of Israel.

"Look, I've been saying these things for 16 years.

"In the beginning I was almost alone when I warned of the danger, and then others joined me."

http://www.boxingscene.com/forums/ne...e=1&p=12522568

[Cuauhtémoc1520]

There is nothing Iran could do to Israel if they were to get into a war. Israel has nukes, air superiority that would be such an incredible advantage it wouldn't even be fair and troops that are so much better trained it's not comparable.

In saying that, I hope that nobody attacks anyone else. We don't need this in the world right now.

[arraamis]

WWIII or End Times....maybe both.........either way Iran will become a hole in the ground if the U.S. war machine is unleashed upon it.

You my Boy, Mike, but that attitude is very shortsighted and reckless.

Russia, China, Syria and possibly Egypt and a few others, are all tied to Iran and any action against Iran opens the door very wide for other nations to get involved. So, this hole in the ground, you speak of, will not happen without very serious consequences.

BTW: I included Egypt because the "Muslim Brotherhood" is also tied to Iran and they are currently in power.

[Southpaw Stinger]

China and Japan and getting all macho with each other too. The World needs a giant mega pint of beer and some time to just chill the feck out.

[Jam Jars]

There is nothing Iran could do to Israel if they were to get into a war. Israel has nukes, air superiority that would be such an incredible advantage it wouldn't even be fair and troops that are so much better trained it's not comparable.

In saying that, I hope that nobody attacks anyone else. We don't need this in the world right now.

Israel using nukes would pretty much seal their own destruction.

[arraamis]

There is nothing Iran could do to Israel if they were to get into a war. Israel has nukes, air superiority that would be such an incredible advantage it wouldn't even be fair and troops that are so much better trained it's not comparable.

In saying that, I hope that nobody attacks anyone else. We don't need this in the world right now.

That is the Truth!!!