Armada of British naval power massing in the Gulf as Israel prepares an Iran strike

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

By Sean Rayment, Defence Correspondent

10:00PM BST 15 Sep 2012

Battleships, aircraft carriers, minesweepers and submarines from 25 nations are converging on the strategically important Strait of Hormuz in an unprecedented show of force as Israel and Iran move towards the brink of war.

Western leaders are convinced that Iran will retaliate to any attack by attempting to mine or blockade the shipping lane through which passes around 18 million barrels of oil every day, approximately 35 per cent of the world’s petroleum traded by sea.

A blockade would have a catastrophic effect on the fragile economies of Britain, Europe the United States and Japan, all of which rely heavily on oil and gas supplies from the Gulf.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most congested international waterways. It is only 21 miles wide at its narrowest point and is bordered by the Iranian coast to the north and the United Arab Emirates to the south.

In preparation for any pre-emptive or retaliatory action by Iran, warships from more than 25 countries, including the United States, Britain, France, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, will today begin an annual 12-day exercise.

The war games are the largest ever undertaken in the region.

They will practise tactics in how to breach an Iranian blockade of the strait and the force will also undertake counter-mining drills.

The multi-national naval force in the Gulf includes three US Nimitz class carrier groups, each of which has more aircraft than the entire complement of the Iranian air force.

The carriers are supported by at least 12 battleships, including ballistic missile cruisers, frigates, destroyers and assault ships carrying thousand of US Marines and special forces.

The British component consists of four British minesweepers and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Cardigan Bay, a logistics vessel. HMS Diamond, a brand-new £1billion Type 45 destroyer, one of the most powerful ships in the British fleet, will also be operating in the region.

In addition, commanders will also simulate destroying Iranian combat jets, ships and coastal missile batteries. READ MORE HERE>>

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Comment by Jim Braun on September 19, 2012 at 5:45pm: I am in my upper 60's as well CH 1. You are right we have much more to go through.

Comment by guest_blog on September 18, 2012 at 2:25pm: Former State Dept. Veteran Drops Bombshell: WWIII Starts Sept. 25, ...

Former Assistant Deputy Secretary of State Dr. Steve Pieczenik says Israel plans to attack Iran before the U.S. elections of Nov. 6., and, that an attack on Iran will assuredly kickoff WWIII, according to him.

Moreover, Pieczenik, a man whose career inspired the character Jack Ryan of the Tom Clancy book series, says the ‘October Surprise’ will not take place in October. Instead, the big surprise will come earlier, in late September.

Comment by Jim Braun on September 17, 2012 at 9:11pm: Like it or not Troy here we are. I can't stop or anybody else. We need war? of course not. But Iran's leader truely believe's he is the one to wipe Isreal off the map. He has even stated he will be the to start WW111. They have nuke's and will use them,so does Isreal. But we have a problem here first and it is brought on by powerful banker's all owned by certain Jew's. Even the jewish people don't want there gov,just as we do our's. It's a crazy world we live in now.

Comment by Jim Braun on September 17, 2012 at 4:07am: I tell ya troy. We can make all the noise we want,not many are really listening. The elite/illuminati has all the ace's. So many keep saying we can make the change, I'm on their side,but can we really? Look's to me like we have to go for the final ride. As you most likely already know we have much more to go through before this come's to an end. I'm kinda old,would never have believed we are here now,to see all this actually happen.Most all us lil people don't want it but not enough are on the same page to make that difference. I do wish you all the very best .OH,on youtube,check out this."foster Brook's-Hubert Humphrey"

Comment by apeman2502 on September 17, 2012 at 12:34am: i tell you young whipper snappers that since 9-11, England is busting out and cruising at top speed to clean up and sieze the territory of Libya( in particular) and elsewhere. By using the U.S. like a paid street punk, England saves costs in blood and treasure while grabbing much needed agricultural and petroleum assets. As head of the Skull and Bones Society in America, Bush41 should have set off alarms with the dropping of the WTCs and Fukushima plants to eliminate economic competition to the English Crown. England is in debt 10XGDP. That is a lot, about 9 times what the U.S. owes(pound for pound). Add on Bush41's deregulation of banking and the Wall Street activity and NAFTA, and even a high school student can tell you that the U.S. working middle class is doomed unless tariffs are brought in. A LOT of high tariff taxes.

Britain will attack a softened up middle east using Rothschild's 'Jonestown mercenary ranch' to finish the job. Obummer will slump in the corner until needed to bail out England, while Hillary pants and moans over the death and suffering. The CFRtv and Rothschild newspapers will blast lies about the 'grand resurgence of the spirit of Britannia and the grandeur of the English Empire' while I puke and casually ask forgiveness for the piggish behavior of the obsolete humanity on a rage. I know God does not forgive murderers. He burns them. There is great honor in defending your country, family, and land. There is no honor in what Britain is doing in the middle east

Comment by Jim Braun on September 16, 2012 at 11:27pm: Maybe crashaxe,don't matter. All can listen in.

Comment by Jim Braun on September 16, 2012 at 11:26pm: TROY. Here on Youtube,check it out. "Iran death to Isreal" I was in Kuwait when Armadenijad said exactly that on aljazeera TV,I heard it myself. Now you can also hear it for yourself.

Comment by Jim Braun on September 16, 2012 at 8:59pm: Right on crash. Why people can't see that beats me. As for battleship's, I don't think we have any. The Mighty MO was the last as far as I know. The smaller ship's really are not that small with some of the most high tech radar anyone can think of and a long reach with different types of rocket's,both conventional and nuclear. They are fast and well protected. One nuke sub has enough fire power to just about vaporize the planet. How many are there? No idea but I bet there are at least 3. OH, Mr. Rtaylor. I understand how you feel,this only a suggestion. There are still flight from the US to most any muslam country then easy to get to Iran from there. At least you can personally witness the absolute destruction of Iran,OH,take lot's of picture's. The new's media would be interested to show how terrible the US is.

Comment by crashaxe on September 16, 2012 at 8:06pm: ratyloritile,

I agree with you comment, except the part about "Israel's urging to fight their wars against whom they conceive as their enemies" the reason Israel "conceives Iran as there enemy is because IRAN HAS REPEATEDLY SAID THEY INTEND TO OBTAIN AN NUCLEAR WEAPON AND WIPE ISRAEL OFF THE MAP.

America needs to support Israel as per the warning given by God in Genesis 12-3 "I (God) will bless those that bless you and, I (God) will condemn those that curses you.

Comment by rtaylortitle on September 16, 2012 at 6:20pm: Our nation cannot stand peace...especially at Israel's urging to fight their wars against whom they conceive as their enemies even though they maintain an arsenal of over 400 nuclear weapons and refuse to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (unlike Iran). There is not one bona fide reason for such a war except that the elitistists, the money-junkies and the Wall Street/City of London Banksters want it to divert from the coming financial collapse of the Euro and the Dollar. If I had a son, I would urge him not to join ANY military and fight any war unless it was one of defense in which our nation was being attacked. To go to war is an act of murder on our part just as was as war in Viet Nam, our war via NATO on Libya, our war on Iraq and on Iran. I'm ashamed and embarassed of our military and its leaders. We are the Fourth Reich of the 21st century.