Barcos estadounidenses atacados en el estrecho de Ormuz

por embarcaciones iraníes:

Cinco barcos de la Guardia Revolucionaria de Irán acosaron y provocaron a tres buques de la Marina de Estados Unidos durante el fin de semana en el Estrecho de Ormuz, una importante ruta de embarque de petróleo frente a la costa iraní, reportó el lunes CNN.

Citando funcionarios estadounidenses no identificados, la CNN dijo que las embarcaciones iraníes se acercaron unas 200 yardas (metros) de los buques estadounidenses el sábado en aguas internacionales en el estrecho, y que marineros estadounidenses estuvieron cerca de abrir fuego.

El incidente tuvo lugar a las 05.00 del domingo, hora peninsular español. Según la versión estadounidense, las embarcaciones iraníes difundieron amenazas por radio: “Estoy yendo hacia vosotros. Vais a estallar en un par de minutos“.

Los precios del petróleo subieron unos 30 centavos, a más de 98 dólares el barril, después del reporte de la CNN, con los analistas citando un mayor riesgo de interrupciones de cargamentos de crudo a lo largo de esta ruta clave.

El portavoz de la Casa Blanca Gordon Johndroe calificó de “provocación” el acoso a los tres barcos de guerra y advirtió a Teherán. “Instamos a los iraníes a abstenerse de este tipo de acciones provocadoras, que podrían conducir a un incidente peligroso en el futuro”, señaló.

Hmm, casi hemos tenido "Marineros occidentales prisioneros en Teherán" II. Gracias a que los EEUU no se amilanaron contra los iraníes como hicieron los ingleses...

A pesar de ello, The Blotter (h/t IBA) ha puesto de manifiesto algunos datos preocupantes:

Pentagon officials today expressed surprise the Navy ships allowed at least one of the Iranian speedboats to get so close -- just 200 yards away -- without firing.

They say at least one of those speedboats boasted a machine gun, and all were behaving as if they were packed with explosives.

A Navy official told ABC News that while there have been similar incidents in the Gulf, Sunday's differed because of the "aggressive actions" taken by the Iranians.

"I've never seen a provocation like this is in international waters," another military official who has served for more than 25 years said.

Al parecer no dispararon a pesar de que una de las embarcaciones iraníes estaba a 200 metros. Según un experto del Pentágono, con una experiencia de más de 25 años, "Nunca he visto una provocación como esta en aguas internacionales". Otro experto dijo que, aunque ha habido otros incidentes en el Golfo, el del domingo fue diferente por las "acciones agresivas" realizadas por los iraníes...

Al parecer, amenazaron con realizar un ataque suicida. Más en ADN:

"Estoy yendo hacia vosotros. Explotaréis en un par de minutos", se escuchó a través de la radio de tres buques norteamericanos que, este pasado fin de semana, surcaban el estrecho de Ormuz, una importante ruta marítima para el transporte de petróleo en las costas iraníes

Las amenazas provenían de embarcaciones de la Guardia Revolucionaria iraní, que hostigaron y provocaron a los navíos estadounidenses. Según el Pentágono, los marines estuvieron a punto de responder con fuego, justo en el momento en que los barcos iraníes se retiraron. Sucedió el pasado domingo y, a pesar de las graves amenazas, el incidente no fue a más.

No debería extrañarnos que esta estrategia hubiera sido diseñada por el Dr. Abbasi, apodado el Henry Kissinger del Islam:

The U.S. does not have the stomach for a long conflict and will soon revert to its traditional policy of "running away," leaving Afghanistan and Iraq, indeed the whole of the Middle East, to be reshaped by Iran and its regional allies.

Según este buen señor, los EEUU no tienen el estómago para resistir un conflicto largo y pronto pasarán a su política tradicional de "salir corriendo", dejando Afganistán e Irak, en verdad todo el Oriente Medio, para que dispongan de él a su gusto Irán y sus aliados regionales.

Pero esta no es la primera vez que Irán intenta algo así. Ya lo intentó en 1988: Operación Mantis Religiosa.

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As you probably know, some Iranian sailors have tried to provoke a confrontation to US fleet in Ormuz Strait, during which they menaced with a suicide attack.

Epaminondas has written for IBA a post about it. A MUST READ. You can read more in his post here, about one of the most really dangerous men in Iran, Hassam Abassi, the Henry Kissinger of Islam:

--a helicopter doing an arabesque in cloudy skies to avoid being shot at from the ground. On board are the last of the "fleeing Americans," forced out of the Dar al-Islam (The Abode of Islam) by "the Army of Muhammad." Presented by his friends as "The Dr. Kissinger of Islam," Mr. Abbasi is "professor of strategy" at the Islamic Republic's Revolutionary Guard Corps University and, according to Tehran sources, the principal foreign policy voice in President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's new radical administration. For the past several weeks Mr. Abbasi has been addressing crowds of Guard and Baseej Mustadafin (Mobilization of the Dispossessed) officers in Tehran with a simple theme: The U.S. does not have the stomach for a long conflict and will soon revert to its traditional policy of "running away," leaving Afghanistan and Iraq, indeed the whole of the Middle East, to be reshaped by Iran and its regional allies.

But, as Wolf Howling remembers, Iran tried this before: 1988, Operation Praying Mantis.

At the same time, Bush, doing a peace gesture, tells Iran: Don't be too bad, guys...

National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said the Bush administration urges Iranians “to refrain from such provocative actions that could lead to a dangerous incident in the future.”

No, man, no to a dangerous incident. TO WAR. Uaghhh!! When they are going to call things as they SHOULD be called???

Sobre la captura a los marineros ingleses:

1. Iran seizes 15 Navy sailors.
2. Iran to try 15 Navy sailors for "being spies".
3. What are the armies for?

Related news:

1. Criminals lose Hands and Feet as Sharia Law's imposed @ LGF. More in Iranian blog Sagg-e Zard, who reasons about Jimmy Carter's responsibility in today's Iranian situation:
   
   How are we going to get Jimmy Carter's attention? He holds the prestigious position of a former president of the United States allowing him to jet set around the globe, apparently promoting human rights and democracy for the past three decades. The Iranian people deserve an answer, it was on his clock that Iranian history was plunged into its darkest time. He needs to tell the Iranians what really happened to America's position towards Iran. Now Jimmy Carter refuses categorically to speak to any Iranian or Iranian journalist about Iran. I believe it is time for us to hear his side of the story, there are numerous great Iranian journalists with integrity who would give him a fair chance, I can think of Zia Atabai or Ali Reza Meibodi who would give Carter a fair platform to tell his side of the story. Otherwise, the least the Iranian youth need is an expression of sympathy or acknowledgment of the attrocities of the Islamic Republic.
2. Barak to tell President Bush: Iran is working still on nuclear weapons @ JPost.
3. Against Cultural Genocide in Iran @ Stephania. Sobre esto ya escribí aquí.
   
4. IAEA to visit Iran clear up questions about nuclear ambitions @ JPost. Juas, juas, juas, juas.... Yes, I'm sure he will...
5. Bush to insist that Iran remains a threat @ The Australian.
6. Iran confirms expulsion of German diplomat @ DW.
7. West deadly nuclear secrets. Among the hours of covert tape recordings, she says she heard evidence that one well-known senior official in the US State Department was being paid by Turkish agents in Washington who were selling the information on to black market buyers, including Pakistan. Is this true? I would like to know your views about it, specially US readers.
   
8. The Duel in Islam @ Freedom Zone.