Iran's oil-blockade threat: Mere 'saber-rattling'?

Tehran warns that it may stop oil from passing through the critical Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. fires back that it will tolerate no such thing

iran
(Image credit: REUTERS)

About one-sixth of the world's oil shipments pass through the Strait of Hormuz — a narrow opening connecting the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean. So when Iran threatens to block the passage, people take notice. On Tuesday, Iranian Vice President Mohammad-Reza Rahimi said that if the West imposes new sanctions on Iran's oil exports, "then even one drop of oil cannot flow from the Strait of Hormuz." Iran is already conducting a 10-day naval exercise, and its navy chief boasted Wednesday that "closing the Strait of Hormuz is very easy for Iranian naval forces." The U.S. dismissed Iran's threat as "saber-rattling," but also warned that the U.S. will "do what we must to ensure the strait remains open." Here's what you should know:

What prompted the latest standoff?

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