Iran Might Try to Disrupt Hormuz Oil Flow If Attacked by U.S.

(Bloomberg) — Iran may be planning to share the pain of any U.S. attack with the world’s oil markets.

A strike against Iran’s nuclear program would probably be met with an effort to choke off oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, military planners and Middle East analysts say. The goal would be to trigger a market disruption that would force President George W. Bush to back off.

The Iranians hope the mere threat of such action may lead oil-consuming nations to pressure the U.S. to resolve the dispute short of a military confrontation. About 17 million barrels of oil, representing one-fifth of the world’s consumption, is shipped through the strait every day.
Bloomberg