British Defense Secretary Threatens Military Retaliation if Strait is Closed
Britain’s Defense Secretary Philip Hammond warned Iran today that the UK would respond militarily if Tehran tries to close the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation over sanctions. Britain considers any action by Iran to close the strait as “illegal and unsuccessful,” the secretary said, insisting that western navies in the Persian Gulf must ensure the free flow of oil trade [Financial Times, 5 January].
Mr. Hammond is in Washington today for meetings with US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and senior Pentagon officals. He made his comments during a speech to the Atlantic Council in Washington.
Britain’s Royal Navy is part of a combined maritime forces fleet which is based in Bahrain and has deployed mine countermeasure vessels in the Persian Gulf.
"Britain considers any action by Iran to close the strait as “illegal and unsuccessful,”"
ReplyDelete"Illegal and unsuccessful", sorta like the invasion of Iraq by the UK perhaps?
Firstly Mr.Hammond should get his geography right, he repeatedly referred to the "Arabian gulf". No such place exists.
Secondly, as much as it pains me to admit it, with the UK's armed forces potentially involved in a showdown with Iran it's now obvious to me that Iran's goose is well and truly cooked. Might as well give up now and hand South Pars to BP as a peace offering to Her Majesty.
No one should underestimate the Royal navy.
ReplyDeleteOne of their submarines has enough fire power to level parts of any first world country least of all Iran.
And before some smarty pants writes and says about the British naval crew that were captured by the IRGC as if was some sort of major naval victory beware that that was a dingy boat not a nuclear sub.
Grifted one-----"Illegal and unsuccessful", sorta like the invasion of Iraq by the UK perhaps?
ReplyDeleteso unsuccessful that Saddam is still in power and his armed forces weren't routed and disbanded.
The Iranian regime will prevail just as Saddam did and an Ayatollah found in a hole in the ground is every bit as unlikely
I consider the invasion of Iraq very successful because the US and UK destroyed Saddam and installed a pro Western regime into power.Strangely Iran or the Islamic regime has benefited greatly from this invasion and they and their sandist khor supporters should be eternally thankful towards the West because they saved the Iraqi Shia from Saddam.
ReplyDeleteUK is burdened with debt.how can they fight a war with less money at pocket.even in libya they felt the pinch
ReplyDeleteAnon 8:17 AM
ReplyDeleteJust let the Islamic regime close the straits and then the Royal navy will show how burdened and full of dept it is.
Don't stop! Just keep b......, on and on.....
ReplyDelete