Tehran. Tension in West Asia has reached its peak just ahead of the important nuclear talks between the US and Iran in Muscat, the capital of Oman. The smell of gunpowder intensified in the Persian Gulf when Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) captured two foreign ships in a major mid-sea military operation. Iran claims that these ships were smuggling Iranian treasure i.e. diesel through an organized network.
According to the Iranian Navy, more than 1 million liters of fuel was recovered from the ships seized in the operation near Farsi Island on Thursday, February 5. 15 foreign crew members aboard the ships have been detained and sent to Bushehr port. Although Iran has not yet revealed which country these ships belonged to, but the timing of this incident has worried the whole world.
Hours after the seizure of the ships, former Iranian minister and senior official Ezzatollah Zarghami issued a direct and sharp military warning to the US. Zarghami wrote in strong words on social media that the Strait of Hormuz will become a place of hell for America. Mocking the strength of the US Navy, he said that in the event of a war, the fate of American ships would be dire and Iran would prove that it historically has control over the region. This development has taken place just before the India-US-Iran diplomatic activities and nuclear talks to be held in Oman on February 7. Amidst increasing military pressure from President Donald Trump and threats of possible attacks on nuclear sites, Iran is trying to gain diplomatic edge by showcasing its naval power. The Strait of Hormuz is considered the Achilles’ heel of the world as about 20-25 percent of the global oil trade passes through this narrow passage. Iran has often adopted the strategy of putting pressure on the international market and crude oil prices by threatening to close this route. This latest military action has made the atmosphere more explosive before sitting at the negotiating table.
