Escalating its belligerence toward other countries, Iran may soon find itself in an armed confrontation with the world's major Western powers, particularly with its threat to close the Strait of Hormuz, a vital international passageway for oil tankers. The Strait of Hormuz, through which 40 percent of the world's oil delivery passes, is a potential powder keg for an armed conflict if Tehran carries out its threat. The United States has warned Iran that it will not take the threat sitting down and has sent navel forces to monitor Iranian activities. Some political observers fear the possibility that Iran may plant mines in the Strait of Hormuz to force its closure. If Iran does it, it may inevitably put itself in an armed confrontation with the US and the other major world powers whose economies are highly dependent on oil. This is a dangerous situation not only for Iran but also its neighboring countries which are wary of Tehran for acting lately like a neighborhood bully. An armed confrontation between Iran and any other country will not be in the best interest of countries in the region. Questions arise: What does Iran want? What will it reap from its belligerence not only toward the world's major powers but also toward many of its neighbors in whose affairs its has lately been meddling with. Clearly, Iran has been seeking hegemony in the region, but there seems to be no logic in closing the Strait of Hormuz. Some analysts say that the threat to close the Strait of Hormuz is an indication that Tehran has started to feel the pinch of the economic sanctions imposed by the US and its allies over what they believe is its secret plan to build nuclear weapons. Although it has rejected these suggestions, its rhetoric and actions have been sending wrong signals. News reports on Sunday said that the European Union was open to resume meaningful talks with Tehran on its nuclear program, but without any preconditions, after Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency said that Iran's nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili will write to the EU's foreign affairs chief for fresh nuclear talks with major world powers. If, indeed, Iran has already felt sharp economic pains as a result of the sanctions imposed by Western countries, it should resume talks with the major powers to resolve its dispute with them in a peaceful manner instead of threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz. The threat will not serve any beneficial purpose. Any miscalculation from either side may trigger a shooting war that may lead to a more dangerous situation. What the Middle East region needs is stability for the sake of the Arab people and the Muslim Ummah who want to live in peace and progress. __
