China Foreign Ministry spokesperson Qin Gang issued a chilling statement today after the United States announced joint military exercises to begin Friday with South Korea. (Update: will begin Saturday, July 24)

“We express deep concern about the relevant exercises,” he said. “We urge all sides to maintain a cool head and exercise restraint, and not do anything that aggravates regional tensions.”

China is extremely touchy when it comes to military things happening near them. They have chased US ships out of the continually expanding sphere of what they call their territorial waters.

This exercise, named Invincible Spirit, hastily put together since North Korea torpedoed a South Korean warship, was at first going to be held in the Yellow Sea between Korea and China. But this appeared on Qin Gang’s ministry website: “We resolutely oppose foreign military ships and planes coming to the Yellow Sea and other waters near China to engage in activities that affect China’s security interests.”

Apparently cooler heads have prevailed, and it will be held on the other side of the Korean peninsula.

Well, at least a little cooler. But not much. (more…)

The Iranian Majlis (their Parliament) has passed a law which calls for equivalent action against any nation who inspects an Iranian ship or airplane. If the US implements either the UN or our own expanded sanctions against Iran by boarding an Iranian ship to check for contraband, Iran promises to do the same to a US ship.

Emboldened by Russian (and other nations) support for Iran in opposition to the UN and US sanctions, the Iranians have drawn a line in the water. Will the United States step over it?

The US navy has been specifically practicing interdicting Iranian vessels for more than a year. One such exercise included training at Cape Fear River, in a place that very much looks like the Strait of Hormuz, including a large near-shore island bearing a striking resemblance to Hormuz Island.

The Iranians have been practicing interdiction of US shipping and oil tankers in the real Strait of Hormuz for almost as long. They do not have large sophisticated ships like the US does. But they do have lots and lots of low-tech small boats with very sophisticated weapons.
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