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Make Clear to Tehran that Closing Shipping Lanes Won't Be Tolerated
(Los Angeles Times) Frederick W. Kagan - Iran's threat to close a vital international waterway if stricter sanctions are imposed on Iranian oil exports is a test of U.S. will and commitment in the Persian Gulf. It is important for the U.S. to declare its commitment to using all necessary force to keep the Strait of Hormuz open. Such a declaratory policy would be explicitly defensive: If Iran violates international law by attacking shipping in transit through the strait, the U.S. will act in defense of international law to stop the illegal action and eliminate the capabilities of the violator to persist in such behavior. As tension between the U.S. and Iran increases, the risk of miscalculation will also increase. This is one of those moments when stability is best served by what might seem a provocative statement. The Iranian leadership at every level must be convinced that any attempt to close the strait will both fail and lead to disaster for Iran. The more the U.S. and its partners do to drive that fact home in Tehran, the less likely Iran's leaders will be to try. The writer is a resident scholar and director of the Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research.