sooda
Veteran Member
Excellent point. Again, the Iranians have the ability to sink those ships but they didn't. Why? Because this is about intimidation and an assertion of force. Iran is saying "Respect us or we will hurt you". Iran shutting down the Gulf would hurt their economy but it would devastate the global economy. They're leaders are religiously based; they aren't thinking in terms of capitalism like Westerners.
If they could close the Strait of Hormuz, there is still the East West Pipeline and SUMED, but it would be real bad even for them.