Letters to the Editor: Attacking oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz could backfire massively on Iran
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To the editor: Iran should think twice before threatening tankers or closing the Strait of Hormuz (“Iran warns oil tankers to use approved routes in Strait of Hormuz or face a ‘forceful response,’” July 2). An attack there would not merely disrupt oil markets; it could create an environmental catastrophe on Iran’s doorstep.
The world saw this danger in the 1991 Gulf War, when retreating Iraqi forces set hundreds of oil wells ablaze in Kuwait. The fires poisoned the air and contaminated land and water, inflicting enormous economic and environmental damage for years.
A burning tanker or major spill near Iran could devastate fisheries, kill marine life and seabirds, contaminate beaches and cripple coastal communities for years along with inflicting major economic damage. Iran would not be harming only foreign shipping; it could be destroying part of its own shoreline.
The United States and its allies should protect lawful passage and impose serious consequences for attacks on civilian shipping.
Kenneth J. Mullinix, Newport Beach
