Iran threatens to close Hormuz, shows Doren footage of the US warships

Tehran: Chief of the Iranian defence forces, Mohammed Bagheri threatened, ‘If the anti-Iran actions of the United States and its allies increase, then the Strait of Hormuz will be closed.’ Iran has, even in the past, warned of blocking the oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz, accounting for nearly a third of the worlds oil movement. But at this time, Iran has published photographs and videos of the US destroyers and aircraft carriers, taken from drones. This increases the seriousness of the Iranian threat.

A few hours ago, an Iranian news channel, connected with the government, released a report prepared by the Revolutionary Guards. The Iranian news channel said that the report contained photographs and videos of the US aircraft carriers, destroyers and the oil tankers in the Persian Gulf. The Iranian news channel declared that Iranian drone, Ababil-3 carried out this surveillance. But neither the news channel nor the Revolutionary Guards have said the date, on which this filming of the US warships was done.

Lieutenant Colonel J. Morgan, the spokeswoman of the US Central Command, lashed out at the report of the Revolutionary Guards. She criticised that Iran had released old footage saying ‘The Revolutionary Guards has released a three-year-old video. The Warship seen in the video is USS Dwight Eisenhower. These aircraft carriers had come to the Persian Gulf along with its fleet in 2016. This US warship has never come to the Persian Gulf thereafter.’

After releasing the photographs of the US warships and destroyers, Iran threatened the oil movement through the Strait of Hormuz. Senior Iranian official Mohammed Bagheri warned ‘Iran will not close the Strait of Hormuz. But if the anti-Iran activities of the United States and its allies increase, Iran may have to take that decision. Bagheri further warned that if the Iranian oil is not going to be allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, Iran will not allow movement of any other country’s oil through the Strait of Hormuz. A few days ago, Iranian Foreign Minister Jawad Zarif also had threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile, Iran infuriated due to the US sanctions, has warned of withdrawal from the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT). Zarif said that Iran has multiple avenues to relieve itself from the US sanctions and withdrawal from the NPT is one of them. General Kenneth McKenzie, Commander of the US Central Command, replied to the Iranian Foreign Minister’s threat. McKenzie said that the United States was establishing special cooperation, with its allies and expressed confidence that they will be able to stop Iran.