Strictly speaking, one could speak of Iran’s entry into the war. On Sunday night, the US embassy in Erbil, Iraq, was hit with 12 to 14 ballistic missiles. As in a similar incident in 2020, no people were injured. Far more serious is Iran’s threat to close the Strait of Hormuz in solidarity with Russia. This could hit the global oil economy hard.
The Arabic news channel AlArabiya voiced the guess, the rocket attack could be in retaliation for an Israeli attack last Monday. Twelve soldiers of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards were killed. Iran had publicly announced that it would hold Israel responsible for the attack. According to Kurdish sources, Iranian Fateh-110 missiles are said to have been used. It was the first attack on US troops in the Kurdish part of Iran in several months.
At a similar incident in 2020 the then ex-president Trump, who was known to be particularly peace-loving, refused to carry out a retaliatory strike against Iran. In doing so, he prevented an escalation towards war in the region. The statesman, who was constantly abused by the globalist, conformist media, was the only US president for a long time who did not instigate new wars and de-escalated existing conflicts. It remains to be seen whether the left-wing US “Democrats” under Joe Biden will react in a similarly level-headed manner.
The Strait of Hormuz – enormously important for the world economy
Much more problematic, however, is Iran’s threat to close the Strait of Hormuz, which is only 21 nautical miles wide at its narrowest point. Such threats are heard again and again (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021), currently corresponding claims are more likely to come from Russian circles – without official confirmation.
The Strait of Hormuz is an important link in international oil trade. Experts expect the price of oil to triple to US$300 per barrel if this strait becomes impassable. There have been repeated attacks on merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz in recent months Iranian Coast Guard boarded and searched a British tanker.
Numerous, also European, military missions in the region
It was only on March 10 that the commander of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) visited the US 5th Fleet stationed in the region. Together with generals from Bahrain security issues were discussed. At the same time, the negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program, which took place in Vienna, postponed indefinitely. The reason for this are “external factors” – specifically the war in Ukraine is meant. The break in negotiations was triggered by Russian demands that were made at the last minute. Russia and Iran are considered strategic allies.
In addition to the USA, Europe also maintains a military mission in the Strait of Hormuz. Seven frigates from Denmark, France, Greece and the Netherlands are to ensure that the bottleneck remains passable and that there are no acts of war. Airplanes provide the necessary reconnaissance. In addition to the countries mentioned, there are also Germany, Belgium, Italy and Portugal involved in the military mission. The actual participation of Germany has never gone beyond a declaration of intent.
