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‘Iran has upper hand over US in Hormuz’

A researcher says the highly propagated US naval supremacy counts for little in the Strait of Hormuz as the geography of the Persian Gulf region and Iran’s naval might will jeopardize American interests there.

“Primacy does not mean invincibility. US naval forces in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf are nonetheless vulnerable,” Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya wrote in an article on Global Research.

He explained the narrow geography of the Persian Gulf, and Iran’s advanced missile and torpedo arsenal “would make short work of US naval assets in the waters of the Persian Gulf where US vessels are constricted.”

The sociologist and award-winning author added that even Iran’s small patrol boats are capable of inflicting mortal damage on the US warships. “These Iranian patrol boats can easily launch a barrage of missiles that could significantly damage and effectively sink large US warships. Iranian small patrol boats are also hardly detectable and hard to target.”

Iran’s Navy successfully test-fired a new long-range coast-to-sea missile called Qader (Capable) and a state of the art surface-to-surface Nour (Light) missile on the last day of its recent naval maneuvers in the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

With its range of 200 kilometers, the Qader missile has highly destructive power and can destroy targets, including frigates, warships as well as enemy coastal targets.

Nour, a 120 kilometer anti-ship cruise missile, is designed to sink a target of 10,000 tons and above.

Nazemroaya further reasoned even Pentagon’s own war simulations have shown that a war in the Persian Gulf with Iran “would spell disaster for the United States and its military.”

He cited the example the Millennium Challenge 2002 (MC02) US drill in the Persian Gulf, which was conducted from July 24 to August 15, 2002 and took almost two years to prepare.

The political analyst argued that although the drill was “officially” presented as a simulation of a war against Iraq under the rule of President Saddam Hussein, “in actuality these war games pertained to Iran.”

“In Millennium Challenge 2002’s war scenario, Iran would react to US aggression by launching a massive barrage of missiles that would overwhelm the US and destroy sixteen US naval vessels – an aircraft carrier, ten cruisers, and five amphibious ships. It is estimated that if this had happened in real war theater context, more than 20,000 US servicemen would have been killed in the first day following the attack.”

Nazemroaya said Iran’s patrol boats would then overwhelm the remainder of the Pentagon’s naval forces in the Persian Gulf, “which would result in the damaging and sinking of most of the US Fifth Fleet and the defeat of the United States.”

“The entire world knows the importance of the Strait of Hormuz and Washington and its allies are very well aware that the Iranians can militarily close it for a significant period of time,” he asserted.

Last week, Iran wrapped up a massive 10-day Velayat 90 naval exercise, covering an area stretching from the east of the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Aden.

Some of the objectives of the Velayat 90 maneuvers were to expand the presence of Iranian armed forces in international waters and prepare against piracy, terrorism or induced disruption to regional trade.

During the maneuvers Iran’s Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said the country’s naval forces can readily block the strategic Strait of Hormuz if need be.

“Closing the Strait of Hormuz is very easy for Iranian naval forces,” Sayyari said, adding that, “Iran enjoys full control over the strategic water way.”

Sayyari’s comment came one day after Iran’s Vice-President Mohammad Reza Rahimi warned that not a drop of oil would be allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz if sanctions are placed against Iran’s oil exports.

“Amongst other things, Velayat 90 should be understood as a signal that Tehran is ready to operate outside of the Persian Gulf and can even strike or block the pipelines trying to bypass the Strait of Hormuz,” Nazemroaya concluded.

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