Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Iran and the Straits of Hormuz

Iran could shut down the straits of hormuz for a short period (a matter of perhaps 12 hours). However, beyond that time frame, the Iranian military would be unable to contest control of the straits with the US military. The US could (and would) simply isolate and destroy the Iranian assets in the area while applying an escalating force dynamic to deter continued Iranian aggression. Thus for Iran, while a short term spike in the oil markets would be possible, this action would come at substantial cost.

1 comment:

  1. Let alone mentioning the economic costs that the Iranians would impose on themselves by such action.

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