{"id":6581,"date":"2011-12-29T00:02:10","date_gmt":"2011-12-29T08:02:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/?p=6581"},"modified":"2011-12-29T00:02:11","modified_gmt":"2011-12-29T08:02:11","slug":"showdown-at-the-strait-of-hormuz","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/2011\/12\/29\/showdown-at-the-strait-of-hormuz\/","title":{"rendered":"Showdown at the Strait of Hormuz"},"content":{"rendered":"

The situation with Iran has gone from bad to worse, and the US is threatening military intervention if Iran attempts to block the Strait of Hormuz, as they have threatened.  To make matters worse, Congress has virtually tied Barack Obama\u2019s hands, making a conflict more likely.  We desperately need to step up diplomacy, but that may not be allowed.<\/font><\/p>\n

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\"29strait-of-hormuz\"The U.S. warned Iran Wednesday that it will not tolerate any disruption of naval traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, after Iran’s navy chief said the Islamic Republic is capable of closing the vital oil route if the West imposes new sanctions targeting Tehran’s oil exports.<\/p>\n

Iran’s Adm. Habibollah Sayyari told state-run Press TV that closing the strait, which is the only sea outlet for the crucial oil fields in and around the Persian Gulf, "is very easy" for his country’s naval forces.<\/p>\n

It was the second such warning by Iran in two days, reflecting Tehran’s concern that the West is about to impose new sanctions that could hit the country’s biggest source of revenue, its oil sector<\/strong>. On Tuesday, Vice President Mohamed Reza Rahimi threatened to close the strait if the West imposes such sanctions.<\/p>\n

In response, the Bahrain-based U.S. 5th Fleet’s spokeswoman warned that any disruption at the strait "will not be tolerated."<\/p>\n

The spokeswoman, Lt. Rebecca Rebarich, said the U.S. Navy is "always ready to counter malevolent actions to ensure freedom of navigation."\u2026 [emphasis added<\/em>]<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Inserted from <USA Today<\/a>><\/p>\n

What upsets Iran most is that proposed sanctions could target not only Iran, but everyone who deals with Iran, in the same way that the US now sanctions Cuba.  <\/font>Rachel Maddow covered this issue and interviewed foreign policy expert, Josh Rogin.<\/font><\/p>\n

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Visit msnbc.com for breaking news<\/a>, world news<\/a>, and news about the economy<\/a><\/p>\n

Banning diplomacy, as the House did is an act of insanity. House Republicans wanted it and House Democrats were to cowardly to vote against it, almost in an election year, especially since there was nothing they could do to prevent it’s passage. They would have been accused of siding with Iran.  We need to urge our Senators to strip it out. In the Senate, sanctions have been attached to the Defense Budget.  Republicans want gas prices to rise, because it will hurt the economy in an election year. Republicans also want their main solution.<\/font><\/p>\n