Armada of international naval power massing in the Gulf as Israel prepares an Iran strike
An armada of US and British naval power is massing in the Persian Gulf in the belief that Israel is considering a pre-emptive strike against Iran’s suspected nuclear weapons programme.
The Strait of Hormuz is only 21 miles wide at its narrowest point Photo: ALAMY
10:00PM BST 15 Sep 2012
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Cruisers, aircraft carriers and minesweepers from 25 nations are converging on
the strategically important Strait of Hormuz in an unprecedented show of
force as Israel and Iran move towards the brink of war.
Western leaders are convinced that Iran will retaliate to any attack by
attempting to mine or blockade the shipping lane through which passes around
18 million barrels of oil every day, approximately 35 per cent of the
world’s oil traded by sea.
A blockade would have a catastrophic effect on the fragile economies of
Britain, Europe the United States and Japan, all of which rely heavily on
oil and gas supplies from the Gulf.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most congested international
waterways. It is only 21 miles wide at its narrowest point and is bordered
by the Iranian coast to the north and the Oman to the south.
In preparation for any pre-emptive or retaliatory action by Iran, warships from more than 25 countries, including the United States, Britain, France, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, will today begin an annual 12-day exercise.
In preparation for any pre-emptive or retaliatory action by Iran, warships from more than 25 countries, including the United States, Britain, France, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, will today begin an annual 12-day exercise.
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