Weeks of threats and military posturing between Iran and the West appeared to have hit a new level on Thursday when a U.S. ship allegedly crept into Iranian waters, not far from where Tehran is carrying out 10 days of naval war games. Iran says one of its surveillance planes has shot video and photographed a U.S. aircraft carrier during an Iranian drill near a strategic waterway in the Persian Gulf. The official IRNA news agency on Thursday quoted Rear Adm. Mahmoud Mousavi as saying this shows Iran's navy is "observing moves by foreign forces" in the area. IRNA's report did not provide details or say which U.S. carrier was filmed. It is unclear what value such footage could have. Nevertheless, the U.S. had tough words for Iran on Wednesday, saying that it would not tolerate any disturbance of naval movement through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran threatened to cut off the flow of oil in the Persian Gulf. Iran on Wednesday said it would close the strait, the world's most important oil chokepoint cutting between Oman and Iran, if Western countries imposed sanctions on crude oil, which is their number one revenue source. Iran is the world's fourth-largest oil producer, pumping out about four million barrels a day. "Anyone who threatens to disrupt freedom of navigation in an international strait is clearly outside the community of nations; any disruption will not be tolerated," the Bahrain-based U.S. Fifth Fleet said in an email. "Closing the Strait of Hormuz for Iran's armed forces is really easy ... or as Iranians say, it will be easier than drinking a glass of water," Iran's navy chief Habibollah Sayyari told Iran's English-language Press TV on Wednesday. "But right now, we don't need to shut it ...," said Sayyari, who is leading the naval exercises. The U.S. was quick to issue a sharp response. "This is not just an important issue for security and stability in the region, but is an economic lifeline for countries in the Gulf, to include Iran," Pentagon press secretary George Little said. "Interference with the transit or passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz will not be tolerated." Bahrain-based U.S. Navy 5th Fleet Spokeswoman Lt. Rebecca Rebarich said the Navy is "always ready to counter malevolent actions to ensure freedom of navigation." Rebarich declined to say whether U.S. forces had adjusted their presence or readiness in the Gulf in response to Iran's comments, but said the Navy "maintains a robust presence in the region to deter or counter destabilizing activities, while safeguarding the region's vital links to the international community." U.S. State Department Spokesman Mark Toner played down the Iranian threats as merely "rhetoric," saying, "We've seen these kinds of comments before." While the Obama administration has warned Iran that it would not tolerate attempts to disrupt traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. officials do not see any indication that the situation would evolve beyond empty threats. They feel it is unlikely that Iran, which is already under increasing pressure from sanctions, would risk disrupting the strait because doing so would further damage their own economy. Instead, the administration believes Iran is playing the only card it has left: issuing threats and attempting to shift focus away from its own behavior. Iran relies on crude sales for about 80 percent of its public revenues, and sanctions or even a pre-emptive measure by Tehran to withhold its crude from the market would already batter its flailing economy. Gulf Arab nations appeared ready to at least ease market tensions. A senior Saudi Arabian oil official told The Associated Press that Gulf Arab nations are ready to step in to offset any potential loss of exports from Iran. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment on the issue. Saudi Arabia, which has been producing about 10 million barrels per day, has an overall production capacity of more than 12 million barrels per day and is widely seen as the only OPEC member with sufficient spare capacity to offset major shortages. During a public speech in Iran's western province of Ilam on Wednesday, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad implied Tehran had no intention of changing course. "We will not yield to pressure to abandon our rights ... The Iranian nation will not withdraw from its right (to nuclear technology) even one iota because of the pressures," said Ahmadinejad, whose firm nuclear stance has stoked many ordinary Iranians' sense of national dignity. What remains unclear is what routes the Gulf nations could take to move that oil into the market if Iran follows through with its threat. There are some alternative pipelines that could be tapped, but Gulf oil leaders, who met in Cairo on Dec. 24, declined to say whether they had discussed alternate routes or what they may be. So far, Western nations have been unable to agree on sanctions targeting oil exports, even as they argue that Iran is trying to develop a nuclear weapon. Tehran maintains its nuclear program - already the subject of several rounds of sanctions - is purely peaceful. The U.S. Congress has passed a bill that penalizes foreign firms that do business with the Central Bank of Iran, a move that would heavily hurt Iran's ability to export crude. European and Asian nations use the bank for transactions to import Iranian oil. U.S. President Barack Obama has said he will sign the bill despite his misgivings. China and Russia have opposed such measures. Sanctions specifically targeting Iran's oil exports would likely create a temporary spike in oil prices, pushing them to levels that could weigh heavily on the world economy. Closing the Strait of Hormuz would constitute an even heavier hit. Energy consultant and trader The Schork Group estimated crude would jump to above $140 per barrel. Conservatives in Iran claim global oil prices will jump to $250 a barrel should the waterway be closed. Iran has adopted an aggressive military posture in recent months in response to increasing threats from the U.S. and Israel of possible military action to stop Iran's nuclear program. The Iranian navy launched a series of war game exercises Saturday, involving submarines, missile drills, torpedoes and drones. The exercises are expected to last 10 days. A senior Iranian commander said Wednesday that the country's navy is also planning to test advanced missiles and "smart" torpedoes during the maneuvers. The war games cover a 1,250-mile (2,000-kilometer) stretch off the Strait of Hormuz, northern parts of the Indian Ocean and into the Gulf of Aden near the entrance to the Red Sea and could bring Iranian ships into proximity with U.S. Navy vessels in the area. The moderate Iranian news website, irdiplomacy.ir, says the show of strength is intended to send a message to the West that Iran is capable of sealing off the waterway. "The war games ... are a warning to the West that should oil and central bank sanctions be stepped up, [Iran] is able to cut the lifeblood of the West and Arabs," a report on the website read. The report added that the West "should regard the maneuvers as a direct message."
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