Iran has threatened to push the cost of a barrel of oil to $200 in a chilling threat to the West.
The regime’s military warned British cargo ships in the Gulf are now “legitimate targets” as it aims to choke off all supply.
Three cargo ships have already been hit by projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz.
The maritime corridor, a passage for one-fifth of the world's oil, has all but stopped after Tehran claimed control of the shipping lane and threatened to attack any vessel attempting to pass through it.
The Islamic regime’s Khatam al-Anbiya military command headquarters said it will "not allow even a single litre of oil" to pass through the Strait.
And in an attempt to goad the US,Israeland its allies its spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaqari said: “We won’t allow even one litre of oil to reach the US, Zionists and their partners. Any vessel or tanker bound to them will be a legitimate target. Get ready for the oil barrel to be at $200 because the oil price depends on the regional security which you have destabilised.”
The threat came as the Thailand-flagged bulk carrier Mayuree Naree was struck and damaged north of Oman, according to surveillance by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). Twenty sailors were rescued, but three remain missing.
A second ship, the Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier Star Gwyneth, was hit by a projectile north-west of Dubai. The vessel suffered hull damage but all crew members are safe.
And a third vessel, a Japan-flagged container ship, sustained minor damage near the United Arab Emirates.
The Islamic Republic’s joint command said it would move from a strategy of “reciprocal hits” to “continuous strikes” meaning all vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz are in the firing line in a move it warned could push global oil prices to $200 (£160) a barrel.
Source: Daily Express :: World Feed
