Timmerman: Iran-Russia-China: the Alliance Deepens

Opinion

Ken Timmerman’s Threat Watch, www.kentimmerman.com, 3-15-24

China, Russia and Iran kicked off their fourth annual joint naval exercises in the Gulf of Oman this week, just outside the Strait of Hormuz, where 20% of the world’s oil transits every day.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration calls the Strait the “most important oil chokepoint” because of the enormous volumes of oil that flow through the narrow waterway between Iran and Oman every day.

During the Iran-Iraq war, Iran mined the Strait of Hormuz in an attempt to block Iraqi oil exports. Instead, they hit a U.S. navy ship and incurred the wrath of the United States, which sank one-third of the Iranian navy and destroyed two oil export platforms in one day.

That U.S. counterstrike, known as Operation Praying Mantis, was ordered by President Ronald Reagan, and brought Iran’s aggressive behavior to a standstill.

Today, Iran and its proxies have launched nearly 200 attacks against international shipping in the Red Sea – an other major oil transit route.

Earlier this month, Houthi missile and drone strikes killed three crew members aboard the Barbardos-registered True Confidence bulk carrier, causing the crew to abandon ship. In February, they hit a ship carrying fertilizer that sank after drifting for several days.

So far, the limited U.S. counterstrikes against the Houthis and other Iranian proxies in Iraq and Syria have had little impact in slowing these attacks.

The timing of this year’s Russia-China-Iran naval exercises, coupled to these Houthi attacks, sends a clear message to the world that the United States no longer control the world’s waterways.

The Iranian regime takes great comfort in the military, political and economic backing it is now receiving from Russia and China. Not only is China buying massive quantities of Iranian oil, rendering moot U.S. sanctions against Iranian oil exports, but the two great powers provide political cover to the Iranians and embolden them on the world state.

This week, regime vice-president for women’s affairs, Ensieh Khazali, denounced Israel for its “genocidal actions” in Gaza from the podium of the United Nations in New York, and called on the UN to expel Israel from the UN Commission on the Status of Women.

Ambassador Mark Wallace, the chairman of United Against a Nuclear Iran, called on the State Department to rescind Mrs. Khazali’s visa and said her comments “made a mockery” of the UN. Given the Iranian regime’s support for the Hamas massacre on October 7, and the now well-documented mass rapes carried out by Hamas terrorists, I found that comment rather diplomatic,

I talk about these subjects, as well as French president Macron doubling down on his threat to send soldiers to Ukraine and the Congressional ban on Tik-Tok on this week’s Prophecy Today Weekend.

As always, you can listen live at 1 PM on Saturday on 104.9 FM or 550 AM or by using the Jacksonville Way Radio app. And if you miss it, you can tune into the podcast later here.

Yours in freedom,

Ken

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