Word: hormuz
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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Nonetheless, a palpable, if tenuous, sense of relief was felt in the international community-most of all when Tehran formally pledged "to spare no effort" to keep open the Strait of Hormuz, through which passes 40% of the Western world's oil. In fact, tanker traffic was moving through the strait safely, even if on a reduced scale. Concluded U.S. Secretary of State Edmund Muskie hopefully: "The broader risks seem to have diminished somewhat. And I would hope they will continue in this direction...
...pipelines to the Mediterranean. Between them, the two nations export just over 3 million bbl. per day, around 20% of gulf crude shipments, an amount that would not necessarily be critical at a time of a global oil glut. But there was the dire possibility that the Strait of Hormuz, 30 miles wide at its narrowest point, at the southern end of the gulf, might be closed because of the hostilities. Halting the flow of the supertankers that steam through the passage would have a devastating ripple effect (see following story) by preventing the shipment of oil from Saudi Arabia...
...sidelines, the U.S. against the U.S.S.R. Both superpowers have strategic interests in the area; neither will easily stand by if the other should make political gains there. Under the Carter Doctrine, proclaimed by the President last January, the U.S. is committed to keeping the Strait of Hormuz open; it would prefer to do so by diplomatic means, but it has little leverage in Baghdad or in Tehran. Though neither Iraq nor Iran made any attempt last week to interfere with shipping through the strait, the Soviets talked about U.S. "preparations for armed interference in the Persian Gulf," obviously concerned that...
...Muslims, the majority in the country, to overthrow the Saddam government, which is dominated by Sunnis. Iraq in turn demanded amendment of the Algiers agreement. It also insisted on the return to "Arab" sovereignty of three small strategic islands-Abu Musa, Greater and Lesser Tunb-at the Strait of Hormuz that had been occupied by the Shah's forces in 1971. Iran did not respond...
...revved up, Tehran declared an embargo on Iraqi harbors and oil facilities like Basra and proclaimed Iranian territorial waters a "war zone." Ships passing through Hormuz were advised by Iranian navy craft to avoid Iraqi ports. While for the most part the traffic-and the oil-kept flowing, some supertanker captains hove to. Off Kuwait, a fleet of the giant ships dropped anchor, waiting...