Drumbeats of War - Showdown With Iran
Setting up a blockade against a country is not an act of war, according to international law.
Putting the blockade into effect by stopping a ship with the intent of searching it… is an act of war.
President Obama today signed into law a series of very strong sanctions against Iran, the most important being measures against the importation of gasoline. This is the kind of sanction the Chinese in particular did not want to see happen, because it will greatly affect the common man in Iran. It is the kind of sanction Israel did want to see happen, because this a way to really hurt Iran, and ostensibly the only way to get them to drop their nuclear program short of war. Clearly, the US agrees with that assessment.
Ah, but it actually makes war a more distinct and imminent probability.
Iranian Defense Minister, General Ahmad Vahidi, who was specifically blacklisted in today’s US sanctions, warned of ‘dire consequences’ if Iranian ships are stopped and inspected, anywhere in the world. According to the largest Iranian international news source, he called such possible inspections under the US sanctions ‘illegitimate’, and that Iran “… has also options to retaliate in kind.”
According to Israeli sources, both the Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander, General Fadavi, and Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Ali Larijani, have promised retaliation if the US enforces the sanctions. They say Iran will make “… harsh reprisals against all vessels, including American warships and oil tankers sailing through the Persian Gulf and Straits of Hormuz, for any attempts to search ships or planes carrying cargoes to Iran.”
Sanctions are not an act of war.
But implementing the US sanctions signed into law today may very well be seen by Iran as an act of war.
The US has unbuttoned its holster. Iran has unbuttoned its holster.
It’s high noon on the high sea
July 25th, 2010 at 6:08 am
Sir,
What the US and Western Nations are doing to Iran is unjust and unfair. While these countries can conveniently forget about Israel which never cared for UN, the same countries implement sanctions after sanctions against Iran. What a unjust double standard practised by the so-called International Community which comprise not even 1/3 of the world’s population. It is in its interest that these countries don’t implement inspection of Iranian ships or planes. One cannot see what will happen if war breaks out. Use logic and make this world a safer place to live.