Closing the Straits of Hormuz.

[Hitch 22]

17% of all the worlds oil gets shipped through there. The Iranians have us over a barrel.

The Iranian Navy would be wiped out in a matter of hours if they tried to block the straits.

[Nebuchadnezzar]

You do realise that the effects of closing the Gulf are already on Playstation 3, XBox and PC.

The 2014 invasion in those games are illuminating.

Is multi-player avail on that?

I think very few people advocate invasion.

[seabhcan]

Iran's problem is that more and more of its oil production is going for domestic consumption for pennies meaning that it has less and less to export at market prices. If it tried to charge anything like the market rate for domestically consumed oil the regime would be gone in the morning.

DinnerJacket changed that more than a year ago. Now domestic prices are close to market, and most effected receive grants to help them pay for it.

Also, selling internationally is great - but the sanctions mean they can't buy very much for their money anyway. So its not that attractive.

[seabhcan]

Not anymore. There are pipelines from Saudi to the Med these days as well.

Has it changed since 2009?

[Cai]

They could easily sink a few old mined tankers there which would cause massive disruption and nothing for the US to shoot at. Its only 300ft deep at the deepest point, and its very narrow.

Or just send the odd missile vaguely in the direction of passing tankers.

[mr_anderson]

The Iranians only have a collection of patrol boats and speed boats and a few little diesel subs.
They might as well be taking on the US Navy with bows and arrows.

Who cares what navy Iran has when the US ships are off their coast ?
It will be land-based missiles hitting the ships.

[Hitch 22]

Who cares what navy Iran has when the US ships are off their coast ?
It will be land-based missiles hitting the ships.

The military response from American and its allies would be overwhelming.
The Iranian navy, air defenses, air force and ground forces would be smashed by American air strikes.

[Nebuchadnezzar]

Ratcheting rhetoric?

"The free flow of goods and services through the Strait of Hormuz is vital to regional and global prosperity," spokeswoman Rebecca Rebarich told the BBC, adding that the Navy would be ready to act if required.

"The US Navy is a flexible, multi-capable force committed to regional security and stability, always ready to counter malevolent actions to ensure freedom of navigation."

BBC News - US warns Iran over threat to block oil route

[Mossy Heneberry]

17% of all the worlds oil gets shipped through there. The Iranians have us over a barrel.

No they don't.

You do know that one of their biggest imports is petrol?

[mr_anderson]

The military response from American and its allies would be overwhelming.
The Iranian navy, air defenses, air force and ground forces would be smashed by American air strikes.

And how smashed would the US economy be after $200 - $300 oil ?