【The Iranian Version of "Mutual Assured Destruction"]
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran announced that it will not allow a single drop of Middle Eastern oil to be exported to the United States.
Iran is telling the United States: Although I cannot attack your homeland, I have the ability to make the global economy suffer a "cardiac arrest" with me. From a military and economic perspective, this statement has elements of "bragging." Faced with the presence of the U.S. Fifth Fleet, it is difficult for Iran to maintain a long-term, absolute physical blockade.
However, this is enough to create chaos: although it cannot achieve a 100% blockade, Iran is fully capable of significantly increasing the cost and risk of transporting Middle Eastern oil through means such as mines, fast-boat harassment, and missile attacks.
This is essentially pushing the situation to the "edge of collapse," forcing the international community (especially European and Asian countries that rely on Middle Eastern oil) to put pressure on the United States, thereby forcing the United States back to the negotiation table or to ease sanctions.
The declaration by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is an embodiment of the Iranian version of "Mutual Assured Destruction" (MAD) in the energy sector.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1859237565474828/
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