Iran could shut Strait of Hormuz if Israel ramps up attacks on energy
Sina Toossi, a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy, a US-based think tank, says if Israel carries out even more “dramatic” attacks on Iranian oil and energy infrastructure, Iran could shut the critical Strait of Hormuz.
“That is their ultimate level of escalation,” Toossi told Al Jazeera, of the potential move by Iran.
Iranian news agency IRINN reported on Saturday that the country was considering shutting the strait, which is the only marine entryway into the Persian Gulf.
According to the US Energy Information Administration, about 20 percent of global oil consumption flows through the Strait of Hormuz.
“We’re not there yet, but today Israel struck a gas field in southern Iran. And Iran in the attacks on Haifa has reportedly struck some energy facilities there,” Toossi noted.
“So there has been a tit-for-tat on energy facilities today, and if this escalates, that’s going to potentially threaten all the energy coming out of the Persian Gulf.”