(Telegraph-UK) Con Coughlin - The free and uninterrupted passage of trade through the Strait of Hormuz is comparable to the importance of the English Channel in sustaining the prosperity of Europe. It would be prudent for the West to be on its guard against any attempt by Tehran to disrupt such a strategically important linchpin for global trade. Any attempt by Iran to use military force to disrupt Gulf shipping would inevitably lead to America and its allies using it as an excuse to destroy Iran's nuclear facilities, thereby resolving the nuclear crisis once and for all. But in a country where normal rational assessments do not apply, there remains the distinct possibility that, having acquired the means to close the strait, the ayatollahs will go ahead with their threat.
2012-01-06 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive