U.S. Navy And Allies To Hold Massive Persian Gulf Naval Exercies In May

U.S. Allies Plan Big Gulf Naval Exercise In May -- Reuters

* Exercise likely to be seen as counter to any Iran threat
* U.S. fighter jet crashes into Arabian Sea, crew unharmed

(Reuters) - The United States and its allies will stage a naval exercise in the Gulf in May to practise minesweeping and escorting ships, the U.S. Navy said on Monday, a manoeuvre likely to be seen in the region as guarding against a potential threat from Iran.

Representatives from more than 30 nations will gather in Bahrain for the International Mine Countermeasures Exercise (IMCMEX) 13 from May 6-30, eight months after they staged a previous edition of the exercises at a time when Israel and Iran were trading threats of war.

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Update #1: U.S. Navy, allies to partner for massive sea drills in Persian Gulf -- Washington Times
Update #2: In May: US Allies Plan Gulf Naval Exercises -- Arutz Sheva

My Comment: This is a clear signal to Iran from the 30 nations that will be participating in these naval exercises.

The New Cold War Is In The Persian Gulf Region

New Cold War Takes Shape in Arabian Gulf -- Defense News

MANAMA, Bahrain — Something that looks very much like a new Cold War is forming up here in the Arabian Gulf region.

The hot ground war of Iraq is over, and its counterpart in Afghanistan is drawing down, perhaps even faster than planned. In their place, a new standoff centered on the maritime environment already is at work, signifying intentions by the U.S. and its allies to remain active participants in the region.

“The U.S. and Iran do not have the healthiest relationship,” Vice Adm. John Miller, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT), told an audience at the NavDex naval exposition in Abu Dhabi on Feb. 21. “We keep an eye on them, they keep an eye on us.”

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My Comment: That's a lot of ships in one small region of space.

U.S. Aircraft Carrier Patrols In Strait Of Hormuz (Video Report)

It's Official: Another US Aircraft Carrier Group Is Going To The Middle East

The aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis transits the Straits of Hormuz in this U.S. Navy photo from Nov. 12, 2011. Reuters

Aircraft Carrier USS Stennis Going To Persian Gulf Early, Staying Longer -- MSNBC

The Pentagon is sending the aircraft carrier USS John Stennis to the Persian Gulf region four months ahead of schedule as tensions rise over Iran’s nuclear program.

An eight-month deployment will be twice as long as originally planned, defense officials told NBC News on Monday.

The major shift in the Stennis deployment comes as Iran renewed its threat to shut down the Strait of Hormuz over tighter international sanctions and the possibility that Israel may launch pre-emptive airstrikes against Iran's nuclear facility.

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More News On The US Beefing Up Naval Forces In The Persian Gulf

U.S. Sending Aircraft Carrier to Mideast Early -- Wall Street Journal
Pentagon sending aircraft carrier to Mideast early to ensure 2 are present -- Washington Post/AP
U.S. to Speed Deployment of Aircraft Carrer to Mideast -- Bloomberg
US moves to keep two carriers in troubled Mideast -- AFP
Carrier Stennis to deploy to Middle East -- UPI
US sends aircraft carrier to Gulf as tensions are raised -- The Telegraph
Pentagon Sends Carrier to the Middle East Early -- ABC News
Panetta Accelerates Stennis Carrier Strike Group Deployment -- US Department of Defense
U.S. decides to keep beefed-up presence in Middle East waters -- CNN

U.S. Navy Fires On Fishing Boat Near Dubai; 1 Killed 3 Wounded (News Roundup)

A United States Navy supply ship, U.S.N.S. Rappahannock, prepared to refuel another naval vessel in the South China Sea in March. Reuters

U.S. Navy Ship Fires On Boat Off Dubai -- New York Times

Gunners on a United States Navy supply ship in the Persian Gulf near the coast of the United Arab Emirates opened fire on a small motorized vessel on Monday after the small vessel disregarded warnings and rapidly approached, the United States Fifth Fleet command reported.

A statement from the command did not say whether there were casualties, nor did it identify the nationality of the smaller vessel or say how many people were aboard it. Separately, an American defense official said that one person on the boat was killed. The Emirates’ state news agency reported later, citing a foreign ministry official, that the person killed was an Indian fisherman, and that three other Indians on the boat were seriously injured.

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More News On Today's US Navy Ship Firing On A Boat off Dubai

US Navy Ship Fires on Boat Off Dubai, Killing 1 -- Time/AP
U.S. Navy fires on fishing boat near UAE; 1 killed -- Reuters
Oil prices rise as US Navy fires on boat in Gulf -- AFP
U.S. Ship Fires on Boat off U.A.E., Kills One -- Wall Street Journal
One dead, three hurt after U.S. fires on UAE fishing boat -- Al Arabiya News
U.S. Navy ship fires at small boat in Persian Gulf -- CNN
US Navy ship fires on boat in Gulf -- BBC
U.S. Navy kills one and injures three after firing at boat off Dubai -- Daily Mail
Navy Supply Ship Fires on Vessel Off Dubai -- Military.com
Indian fisherman killed as US navy fires in Gulf -- New York Daily News
Indian fisherman killed in firing from US navy ship -- Hindustan Times/AP

Breaking News: US Navy Ship Fires On Small Boat In Persian Gulf; 1 Killed

USNS Rappahannock

WNU Editor: From CNN .... A U.S. military supply ship fired at a small boat in the Persian Gulf on Monday after it came too close to the ship, two U.S. officials said. One person aboard the boat was apparently killed.

The USNS Rappahannock, a fuel resupply ship, fired on what is described by the officials as a “small white pleasure craft” 10 miles outside the Dubai port of Jebel Ali.

The U.S. ship verbally warned the boat and fired at least one warning shot before the decision was made to fire shots to disable the boat. Officials described the course of events as standard procedure when a small boat gets too close to a U.S. Navy ship.

Update: This is a breaking news story. I will be posting updates later today.

Tensions Rise In The Gulf But Desire For War Is Not There

An oil tanker loads gas in Assaluyeh seaport at the Persian Gulf, 870 miles south of Tehran in this May 27, 2006 file photo. Iran will see its July oil exports more than halved from regular levels seen last year because tough new Western sanctions are stifling flows and costing Tehran more than $3 billion in lost revenue per month. Morteza Nikoubazl/Reuters/File

Gulf Sabers Rattle As Iran Sanctions Bite -- New York Times/Reuters

LONDON (Reuters) - Iran and the United States might be talking up their readiness for war in the Gulf but beneath the rhetoric, all sides appear keen to avoid conflict and prevent accidental escalation - at least for now.

This week, a string of hawkish Iranian statements - including a renewed threat to close the Strait of Hormuz and destroy U.S. bases "within minutes" of an attack - helped push benchmark Brent crude oil prices above $100 for the first time since June.

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My Comment: Sanctions are hurting Iran financially .... but with $150 billion in reserves .... the Iranian government has more than enough to pay the bills for the next few years.

As to the rise of tensions .... until the US puts more military muscle in the region I am skeptical of any talk and/or claims that war is around the corner. To put it bluntly .... such a conflict would be a war of choice that the White House (and most of America) has no desire to proceed at this time or .... for that matter .... the foreseeable future. Ditto for Iran.

The Newest Threat From Iran In The Straits Of Hormuz

The Bladerunner 51, weighing 16 tonnes and 15.5 metres (45 feet) long is manufactured at the ICE Marine shipyard in Britain and can reach a maximum speed of 65 knots

Iran Navy Produces Armed Copy Of Bladerunner 51 Speedboat -- The Telegraph

Iran says it will mass produce armed replicas of the Bladerunner 51, the British-built speedboat hailed among the fastest in the world, for its navy in the Gulf.

A senior commander said Iran would arm the copy vessel with missiles and torpedoes as it continues to build its military presence in the Strait of Hormuz.

General Ali Fadavi of the Revolutionary Guards's navy, told AFP: "The Bladerunner is a British ship that holds the world speed record. We got a copy [on which] we made some changes so it can launch missiles and torpedoes.

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My Comment: I suspect that these boats will be mainly used as suicide attack vessels against bigger targets. i.e. cruisers, aircraft carriers, oil tankers, etc.. The reason why .... it is too small to be effective as a platform carrying torpedoes or missiles. But they should not be discounted .... like the PT Boats during the Second World War in the Pacific .... I will not be surprise if these speed boats become very effective weapons in the confines of the Persian Gulf.

U.A.E. Confirms That A Super Oil Tanker Was Attacked In The Persian Gulf

A Emirati News Agency (WAM) handout shows Japanese oil tanker "M.Star" arriving at the Emirati port of Fujairah on July 28.

U.A.E. Officials Confirm Terror Attack on Tanker -- Wall Street Journal

ABU DHABI—The Japanese-owned oil tanker that reported an explosion last week while traveling through the Strait of Hormuz was attacked by terrorists, according to investigators in the United Arab Emirates, citing forensic evidence that found traces of explosives on the vessel.

"U.A.E. explosives experts who collected and examined samples found a dent on the starboard side above the water line and remains of home-made explosives on the hull," according to a statement released by the U.A.E.'s state-run news agency WAM.

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More News On the Terror Attack Against An Oil Tanker In the Persian Gulf

Probe Confirms Terror Strike On Japanese Super-tanker: Report -- RTT
UAE: Terrorists attacked oil tanker -- CNN
UAE: Japanese tanker attacked in Persian Gulf -- AP
'Terror blast' hit Japanese tanker in Gulf strait -- AFP
Remains of explosives found on hull of damaged Japanese supertanker -- The Daily Mail
Japan tanker was damaged in a terror attack, UAE says -- BBC
Tanker damaged by terrorist attack, says UAE coast guard -- The National
Damaged Japanese tanker departs UAE port -sources -- Reuters
Japanese tanker, M.Star, leaves Fujairah Port after hull damage repair: UAE source -- WAM

Al Qaeda Claims Oil Tanker Attack In The Persian Gulf

The M Star oil tanker is seen in the sea near Japan in this December 2008 handout photograph released on July 28, 2010 by the ship's owners Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd. The oil tanker damaged in an explosion in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important shipping lanes, was being diverted to a port in the UAE on July 28, 2010.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Al Qaeda-Linked Group Claims Gulf Tanker Attack -- Wall Street Journal

ABU DHABI—An Islamic militant group affiliated with al Qaeda claimed responsibility for an attack on a Japanese-owned oil tanker while it traveled through the Strait of Hormuz last week, raising fresh worry about the vulnerability of the world's delicate oil-supply routes.

In a statement posted to a militant website, the Abdullah Azzam Brigade said they targeted the supertanker M. Star in what they hoped would be a dramatic blow to the global economy and oil markets.

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More News On This Al Qaeda Claim Of Attacking An Oil tanker In The Gulf

Doubts as Qaeda group claims Japan tanker blast -- Yahoo News/Reuters
Group claims attack on Japanese oil tanker -- Financial Times
Al-Qaida group claims link to tanker plot -- UPI
Al-Qaida-linked group claims tanker attack in Gulf -- AP
Qaeda linked group claims attack on Japan tanker -- Reuters
Militants claim suicide bomb attack on Japan tanker -- AFP
Al-Qaeda-Linked "'Abdallah 'Azzam Brigades" Claim to Have Attacked Japanese Tanker -- Memri
FACTBOX-Who are the Abdullah Azzam Brigades? -- Reuters
Q+A-Could Qaeda group have damaged Japan tanker? -- Reuters

What Nearly Punched A Hole In This Japanese Oil Tanker?

From Yahoo News:

The M. Star, a Japanese oil tanker, suffered ... something in the early-morning hours Wednesday as it passed through the Strait of Hormuz. Crew members heard a blast and saw a flash, windows were blasted out, ceiling panels in a dining room were shaken loose, and one crew member suffered minor injuries. And most significant, an enormous dent appeared on the tanker's starboard side, extending from the waterline more than halfway up the hull. But what caused it? the New York Times asks. Who knows?

Officials with Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, the firm that owns the tanker, think a blast of some kind struck the ship, but they don't know what, AFP reports.

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My Comment: I posted my own observations on this event yesterday, but the reason why I am posting it again is that some of the comments in the comment tread for this Yahoo story are hilarious. Read it all.

What Struck The Japanese Oil Tanker M. Star In The Persian Gulf?

Damage control: The M Star oil tanker owned by Japanese shipper Mitsui OSK pictured at sea near Fujairah port in the United Arab Emirates July 29. After Mitsui OSK said it believed the M Star might have been the subject of an unidentified attack in the Strait of Hormuz, U.A.E. port officials examining the ship said it may have hit a submarine or a mine. Port officials had earlier suggested the damage might have been inflicted by natural causes such as a post-earthquake wave. Reuters

Top Three Theories On What Damaged Japanese Oil Tanker Near Iran -- Christian Science Monitor

Numerous theories have surfaced for what damaged the Japanese oil tanker sailing between Oman and Iran on Thursday. Investigators say it may have been a sea mine, a pirate attack, or a collision with a submarine.

Whatever it was that shook a 260,000-ton Japanese supertanker as it sailed through calm waters between Oman and Iran just after midnight Wednesday, it was not a freak wave.

But beyond that, officials investigating a huge dent in the side of the M. Star are still some way off establishing exactly what happened.

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My Comment: It does not take a specialist to look at the above picture and see that this oil tanker did hit something .... and that something was big.

Hmmm .... any subs reported missing in the past few days?

Conflicting Reports That A Japanese Oil Tanker Has Been Attacked In The Straits Of Hormuz

The M Star oil tanker is seen in the sea near Japan in this December 2008 handout photograph released on July 28, 2010 by the ship's owners Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd. REUTERS//Mitsui O.S.K. Lines/Handout

Blast Damages Japanese Tanker Near Iran, Oman -- Voice of America

Japanese officials are trying to determine what caused an explosion on an oil tanker as it passed through the Strait of Hormuz.

Japan's transport ministry said Wednesday that the M. Star was carrying about two million barrels of crude oil from the United Arab Emirates to the Japanese port of Chiba when it was rocked by an explosion.

The United States Navy's Fifth Fleet, based in the Gulf state of Bahrain, said Wednesday the cause of the blast was unknown.

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More News On An Explosion Reported On A Japanese Oil Tanker In The Persian Gulf

Explosion rocks Japanese tanker in Persian Gulf -- AP
Officials: Explosion damages Japanese tanker in Strait of Hormuz -- CNN
Japanese oil tanker damaged in Gulf explosion -- The Guardian
Persian Gulf Tanker Blast May Have Been Attack -Mitsui -- Wall Street Journal
Japanese tanker damaged in Strait of Hormuz -- Financial Times
Japanese tanker damaged off Oman, cause unclear -- Yahoo News/Reuters
Iran rules out terrorist attack on Japanese tanker in Persian Gulf: official -- Xinhuanet
Freak wave hits Japanese oil tanker near Oman -- BBC
Freak wave hit Japanese supertanker - UAE official -- Reuters
FACTBOX-The Strait of Hormuz, key oil shipping route -- Reuters

Naval Clash In the Persian Gulf Raises Fears On Gulf Security

Naval Battle Between UAE And Saudi Arabia Raises Fears For Gulf Security -- The Telegraph

A naval clash in the Gulf has reignited fears over the security of the world's most important shipping lanes and disputed oilfields.

The United Arab Emirates navy is thought to have opened fire on a small patrol vessel from Saudi Arabia after a dispute over water boundaries.

According to one report, two Saudi sailors were injured in the alleged bombardment.

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My Comment: This story is not only a surprise, but it has not been publicized as much as it should be. The Persian Gulf is one of the most heavily militarized areas in the world, any such skirmish can have profound impact on the price of oil, Iranian intentions, and Arab cooperation.

Persian Gulf Lessons In 1980s For Pentagon Planners Today

From The Cutting Edge:

While Iran studied the lessons of its conflict with the United States, the Pentagon arguably paid far less attention than it should have. The “Tanker War” of the 1980s had never been popular with an “open ocean” U.S. Navy. The tactical innovations of waging counterinsurgency operations at sea were not incorporated into U.S. naval doctrine or training, except by individual participants who taught at the Naval War College according to their own experiences in the Gulf.

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My Comment: A must read article for those who are interested in understanding the evolving development of Naval forces in the gulf .... and the consequences if a confrontation with Iran should break out.