Iran Votes to Close Strait of Hormuz
Shockingly, the Majlis (the Iranian parliament) has voted to close the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation of US attacks on three nuclear facilities in Iran overnight. So reports Politico: Iran reportedly moves to shut Strait of Hormuz after US attacks .
Iran’s parliament endorsed a measure to close the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global transit chokepoint, in response to overnight U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites, Iranian state media reported Sunday.
Iran’s state-owned broadcaster Press TV reported that the legislature had reached a consensus to close the strait. The final decision rests with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, it said.
[…]The strait connects the Persian Gulf to the open ocean and is one of the world’s most critical oil chokepoints . About 30 percent of global seaborne oil shipments pass through the narrow passage, a vulnerability that has become a growing concern amid spiraling regional tensions.
I guess the Chinese weren’t watching Fox News this morning. Via Reuters: US urges China to dissuade Iran from closing Strait of Hormuz .
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday called on China to encourage Iran to not shut down the Strait of Hormuz after Washington carried out strikes on Iranian nuclear sites .
Rubio’s comments on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo” show came after Iran’s Press TV reported that the Iranian parliament approved a measure to close the Strait of Hormuz, through which around 20% of global oil and gas flows.
“I encourage the Chinese government in Beijing to call them about that, because they heavily depend on the Straits of Hormuz for their oil,” said Rubio, who also serves as national security adviser.
“If they do that, it will be another terrible mistake. It’s economic suicide for them if they do it. And we retain options to deal with that, but other countries should be looking at that as well. It would hurt other countries’ economies a lot worse than ours.”
Rubio said a move to close the strait would be a massive escalation that would merit a response from the U.S. and others.
It seems worth noting that these statements make the alleged “one-and-done-ness” of the bombings a little hollow. The US has attacked, Iran is going to try and counter in some way, and then the US will have to decide if it then reacts to those counters.
See also the following.