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Iran Plotting to Spill Oil in Strait of Hormuz, Magazine Claims

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Phreaker

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http://www.cnbc.com/id/49426899

Iran Plotting to Spill Oil in Strait of Hormuz, Magazine Claims

Iran is secretly planning to spill oil into the Strait of Hormuz as revenge for Western sanctions, according to Der Spiegel.

The German news weekly claims to have spoken to Western intelligence sources who say they have obtained Iran's classified report on the operation, which has the potential to create an environmental disaster.

Code-named "Murky Water," the plan allegedly involves steering an Iranian supertanker, capable of carrying hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil, onto a rock.

According to Der Spiegel:

"The goal of the plan seems to be that of contaminating the strait so as to temporarily close the important shipping route for international oil tankers, thereby 'punishing' the Arab countries that are hostile to Iran and forcing the West to join Iran in a large-scale clean-up operation — one that might require the temporary suspension of sanctions against Tehran."

The proposal was drawn up by the heads of the Revolutionary Guards and the Iranian Navy, but it is up to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei whether to implement it, the magazine says.

Iran has previously threatened to close off the Strait of Hormuz, through which almost a fifth of the world's sea-traded oil travels.

That prompted the U.S. to boost its military presence in the Persian Gulf, sending helicopters, underwater drones, and mine-sweeping ships to deter Iran from trying the tactic.

Meanwhile, the European Union today ordered a new batch of sanctions on Iran over its disputed nuclear program, this time targeting Iranian banks, trade, and gas imports.

The EU has already imposed an embargo on Iran's oil exports, which has helped push the rial to its lowest level ever against the U.S. dollar.

Der Spiegel speculates that Operation Murky Water — if it indeed exists — is an indication of Tehran's increasing desperation in the face of biting economic isolation.
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Do you think they would really do this or is this just propaganda?
 
Slayer-33

Slayer-33

Liverpool-2
"Iran is secretly planning to spill oil into the Strait of Hormuz as revenge for Western sanctions, according to Der Spiegel."
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So much for the secret.

The war drums are starting once again. WMD 2.0.

Phreaker said:
Do you think they would really do this or is this just propaganda?
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This is just more bullshit imo. Apparently Iran "hacked" some US PC's overseas and it was labeled a "cyber terrorism" attack by the media here.
 
G

gurudyne

Member
Wouldn't the UN try to strongarm Iran out of the cleaning operations, since they, you know, caused it for political gain? And aren't wide-scale ecological acts of terrorism illegal on the international stage, or am I just projecting common sense where it doesn't belong?
 
2

2MF

Member
A good question is, are they more likely to do this as a response to sanctions or as retaliation against an attack?

Saddam only lit their oil wells on fire after the war had started.
 
F

Fusion Pizza

Member
dragonelite said:
Im not sure but i was told US is biggest oil producer but it can only produce 75% and that is why it needs to import oil.
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I don't know exact numbers, but our oil production is rising, it's more important for the flow oil to continue unabated, so that the global economy as a whole doesnt take a hit.
 
2

2MF

Member
dragonelite said:
Im not sure but i was told US is biggest oil producer but it can only produce 75% and that is why it needs to import oil.
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US oil production: about 6 Mbpd (million barrels per day)
US oil consumption: about 20 Mbpd
World oil consumption: about 80 Mbpd

These numbers are from memory but I'm pretty sure they're fairly accurate.
 
V

Valnen

Member
Ubermatik said:
If you're suggesting war, I don't think it'd happen as a result of this 'exercise'.
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I do. If they purposely fuck with the world's oil supply by purposely doing a huge oil spill there will be a lot of people calling for us to "spill" some bombs all over them.
 
S

Salvadora

Member
Ubermatik said:
If you're suggesting war, I don't think it'd happen as a result of this 'exercise'.
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I think if anything is likely to turn to an armed conflict it's messing with energy supplies.
About 20% of the world's petroleum, and about 35% of the petroleum traded by sea, passes through the strait making it a highly important strategic location for international trade
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L

leroidys

Member
dragonelite said:
Im not sure but i was told US is biggest oil producer but it can only produce 75% and that is why it needs to import oil.
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No.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_oil_production
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_proven_oil_reserves

And as mentioned, it doesn't help that we use so goddamn much.


On topic, I wouldn't put this past the shitbags running Iran, but after the Iraq debacle I'm not going to believe anything that could be warmongering propaganda without a lot more backing it up than this. Not that I believed the Iraq WMD bullshit at the time...
 
P

Phreaker

Member
Ubermatik said:
If you're suggesting war, I don't think it'd happen as a result of this 'exercise'.
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Maybe not, but it would add more fuel to the fire. I could see it being used to rial people up to support a war if proven to be done on purpose. Hopefully Murky Water wont happen, we need less war.
 
K

Kinyou

Member
Valnen said:
I do. If they purposely fuck with the world's oil supply by purposely doing a huge oil spill there will be a lot of people calling for us to "spill" some bombs all over them.
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So what if there's an oil tanker accident during the next days? You're going to bomb them? How would you know that it was an intentional accident?
 
G

gurudyne

Member
Kinyou said:
So what if there's an oil tanker accident during the next days? You're going to bomb them? How would you know that it was an intentional accident?
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Depends on the spin. If you threaten to rob someone and a week later, they get robbed, odds are unless they find the real culprit, you wind up in prison for it because you put yourself in a position as the primo scapegoat. You going to jail is MUCH more likely if there's political gain to be had by you doing so.
 
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