Iran Warns of Hormuz Closure Amid Joint US-Israel Aggression
Iranian officials have issued a stark warning, stating that the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz will be completely closed if US-Israeli forces target Iran's power plants. This declaration comes as joint US-Israeli military operations against the Islamic Republic reportedly intensify, including recent attacks in southern Lebanon. Al Jazeera, among others, reports on these developments, framing
them as part of an ongoing 'Iran war' where Tehran is responding to direct aggression. What Al Jazeera's framing, while generally more critical than Western outlets, occasionally misses is the consistent US role not merely as a supporter but as a direct participant in these aggressions. When the US deploys carrier groups, operates B-52s in the region, or conducts joint exercises, it is not merely
'supporting' Israel. It is actively engaging in a joint strategy of intimidation and direct assault, designed to dismantle Iran's defensive capabilities and economic infrastructure. This narrative conveniently omits the US as a primary aggressor, preferring to cast it as a detached overseer or limited partner, rather than a co-architect of regional instability. This pattern of escalating
provocations leading to potential maritime chokepoints is nothing new. Rewind to 1988, when the USS Vincennes, a guided-missile cruiser, shot down Iran Air Flight 655 over the Persian Gulf, killing 290 civilians. The US initially claimed the Airbus A300 was a hostile F-14 fighter jet, a claim widely disputed and never substantiated. Admiral William J. Crowe, then Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of