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<\/a>\u00a9 Instagram \/ Israeli Navy<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n
Israeli Navy ready to block Iranian oil exports in transit \u2013 Netanyahu<\/h2>\n
RT.com<\/p>\n
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel is prepared to throw the power of its naval force \u2013 and urges the world to join in \u2013 to block the Iranian oil shipments circumventing unilaterally imposed US sanctions against Tehran.<\/p>\n
\u201cIran is trying to bypass the sanctions on it through the covert smuggling of petroleum via the sea. As these attempts expand, the navy will have a more important role in efforts to block these Iranian actions,\u201d<\/em>Netanyahu\u00a0said<\/a>\u00a0at a navy cadets\u2019 graduation ceremony in Haifa on Wednesday.<\/p>\n Failing to explain how exactly Israel\u2019s relatively small naval force would impose the suggested blockade against Iranian oil tankers, Netanyahu only emphasized that Israeli sailors are well-trained and adept at carrying out sea missions against adversaries.<\/p>\n Washington sanctioned Iran\u2019s oil, shipping and banking industries last November after President Donald Trump pulled out of the 2015 JCPOA \u2018Iran Nuclear Deal\u2019 to applause from Israel and to strong objections from the other signatories of the milestone accord and from Tehran\u2019s business partners.<\/p>\n Aiming to reduce Tehran’s oil exports to\u00a0\u201czero,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0the US threatened global oil buyers with secondary sanctions. Then, after the pressure failed to achieve expected results, a handful of countries were granted a special exemption, with Washington generously allowing them to continue buying crude from Tehran, for the time being.<\/p>\n To tackle what it called Iran\u2019s\u00a0\u201cillicit\u201d<\/em>\u00a0economic activity at sea, Israel would need to expand its operating theater. Currently, the country is primarily active in the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea areas. Whether or not such potential Israeli missions would yield success is questionable, as Iran has far more\u00a0superior capabilities<\/a>\u00a0at sea.Furious at American bullying tactics, Iran\u2019s armed forces have\u00a0said<\/a> they will protect its fleet of oil tankers against any threats that might jeopardize the shipments. Tehran is especially committed to ensuring safe passage through the narrow Strait of Hormuz, which links the Persian Gulf with the rest of the world.<\/p>\n