Iran Threatens Strait of Hormuz [ArticleImageHyperLink] Tuesday, January 24, 2012 By Alex Fahlman Advertising After the U.S. and other western nations began considering placing sanctions on Iranian oil, Iran threatened to block off the strait of Hormuz to prevent oil from being transported through it. This would have blocked off all sea trade from Iraq, Bahrain, and Qatar, and would have blocked off a large amount of sea trade from Saudi Arabia and the UAE (United Arab Emirates). This could have very well led to war if Iran were serious because in 1982 the United Nations dictated that straits such as the Strait of Hormuz will allow safe passage of ships even though it is partly Iran’s territorial waters. Tensions rose between the U.S. and Iran until recently when the U.S.S. Kidd rescued Iranians from a hijacked fishing boat in the Straight of Hormuz. After this act of kindness Iran thanked the U.S. for its cooperation which helped decrease the tension between the two nations. Again on January 10th the U.S. coast guard rescued 6 other Iranians who were on a sinking merchant vessel that had fired off flares that had prompted the rescue. These acts of goodwill towards Iran, with whom the U.S. has been at odds for decades, helped relieve tension between the two nations during a time of great tension.

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