Tag Archives: Persian Gulf

Demolition Derby in The Gulf, by Eric Margolis

Posted on June 15, 2019 | Leave a comment

Iran’s true crime isn’t that it hasn’t toed the US line since the revolution in 1979. From Eric Margolis at lewrockwell.com:

Who is attacking oil tankers in the Gulf between Oman and Iran?  So far, the answer is still a mystery.  The US, of course, accuses Iran.  Iran says it’s the US or its local allies Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Magnetic mines are blamed for the damage, though there have been claims of torpedo use.  Last month, four moored tankers were slightly damaged, though none seriously.  This time the attacks were more damaging but apparently not lethal.

A few cynics have even suggested Israel may be behind the tanker attack in order to provoke war between Iran and the United States – a key Israeli goal.  Or maybe it’s the Saudis whose goal is similar.  The Gulf is an ideal venue for false flag attacks.

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Posted in Foreign Policy, Geopolitics, Governments, History, Imperialism, Military, War

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Iran Decided To Put Maximum Pressure On Trump – Here Is How It Will Do It, by Moon of Alabama

Posted on June 14, 2019 | 1 comment

This article is speculation, but the scenario it sketches is certainly plausible…and chilling. From Moon of Alabama at moonofalabama.org:

Thirteen month ago the United States launched a total economic war against Iran. It demands its capitulation. Now Iran decided to respond in kind. It will wage a maximum pressure campaign on U.S. economic interests until the Trump administration concedes its defeat. Shipping in the Middle East will soon become very hazardous. Oil prices will go through the roof. Trump will be trapped between two choices neither of which he will like.

In early May 2018 U.S. President Trump broke the nuclear deal with Iran and sanctioned all trade with that country. Iran reacted cautiously. It hoped that the other signatories of the nuclear deal would stick to their promises and continue to trade with it. The year since proved that such expectations were wrong.

Under threat of U.S. sanctions the European partners stopped buying Iranian oil and also ended their exports to it. The new financial instrument that was supposed to allow payments between European countries and Iran has still not been implemented. It is also a weak construct and will have too little capacity to make significant trade possible. Russia and China each have their own problems with the United States. They do not support trade with Iran when it endangers their other interests.

Meanwhile the Trump administration increased the pressure on Iran. It removed waivers it had given to some countries to buy Iranian oil. It designated a part of the Iranian armed forces, the Revolutionary Guard Corp (ICRG), as a terrorist entity. On Friday it sanctioned Iran’s biggest producer of petrochemical products because that company is alleged to have relations with the ICRG.

The strategic patience Iran demonstrated throughout the year since Trump killed the deal brought no result. Trump will stay in power, probably for another five and a half years, while Iran’s economic situation continuous to get worse. The situation requires a strategic reorientation and the adoption of a new plan to counter U.S. pressure.

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Posted in Energy, Foreign Policy, Geopolitics, Governments, Military, War

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War on Iran and Calling America’s Bluff, by Pepe Escobar

Posted on April 24, 2019 | Leave a comment

Iran can inflict major damage on energy markets and the global economy. From Pepe Escobar at consortiumnews.com:

Vast swathes of the West seem not to realize that if the Strait of Hormuz is shut down a global depression will follow, writes Pepe Escobar.

The Trump administration once again has graphically demonstrated that in the young, turbulent 21st century, “international law” and “national sovereignty” already belong to the Realm of the Walking Dead.

As if a deluge of sanctions against a great deal of the planet was not enough, the latest “offer you can’t refuse” conveyed by a gangster posing as diplomat, Consul Minimus Mike Pompeo, now essentially orders the whole planet to submit to the one and only arbiter of world trade: Washington.

First the Trump administration unilaterally smashed a multinational, UN-endorsed agreement, the JCPOA, or Iran nuclear deal. Now the waivers that magnanimously allowed eight nations to import oil from Iran without incurring imperial wrath in the form of sanctions will expire on May 2 and won’t be renewed.

The eight nations are a mix of Eurasian powers: China, India, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, Italy and Greece.

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Posted in Economy, Energy, Governments, Military

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