Iran navy chief says shutting off Gulf easy

But right now,we dont need to shut it as we have the Sea of Oman under control and we can control the transit, said Sayyari,who is leading 10 days of exercises in the Strait.

Closing off the Gulf to oil tankers will be easier than drinking a glass of water for Iran if the Islamic state deems it necessary,state television reported on Wednesday,ratcheting up fears over the worlds most important oil chokepoint.

Closing the Strait of Hormuz for Irans armed forces is really easy … or as Iranians say it will be easier than drinking a glass of water, Irans navy chief Habibollah Sayyari told Irans English language Press TV.

But right now,we dont need to shut it as we have the Sea of Oman under control and we can control the transit, said Sayyari,who is leading 10 days of exercises in the Strait.

Story continues below this ad

Tension has increased between Iran and the West after EU foreign ministers decided three weeks ago to tighten sanctions on the worlds No. 5 crude exporter over what the UN nuclear watchdog said is an attempt to design an atomic bomb,but left open the idea of an embargo on Iranian oil.

Iran,which said it is developing nuclear energy for peaceful purposes,warned on Tuesday it would stop the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf if sanctions were imposed on its crude exports.

The Strait of Hormuz is the worlds most important oil chokepoint, according to the US Department of Energy. The State Department said there was an element of bluster in the threat,but underscored that the US,whose warships patrol in the area,would support the free flow of oil.

It was not immediately clear what Sayyari meant by controlling the Sea of Oman,but the Iranian navy has been developing its presence in international waters since 2010 for counter-piracy operations and also to show off its naval power. Irans international isolation over its defiant nuclear stance is hurting the countrys oil-dependent economy. But,during a public speech in Irans western province of Ilam on Wednesday,President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad implied Tehran had no intention of changing course.