MOSCOW, March 13. /TASS/. The Pentagon focuses on unblocking the Strait of Hormuz; Israel expands military operations in southern Lebanon; and Ukraine seeks to impact the outcome of the upcoming elections in Hungary. These stories topped Friday’s newspaper headlines across Russia.
The Pentagon has outlined a new goal for military operations in the Middle East. Until recently, the US claimed to be seeking regime change in Iran and the destruction of the country’s nuclear program, but now, the objective is to end the energy crisis caused by issues with hydrocarbon deliveries from the Persian Gulf. However, experts say the Pentagon is biting off more than it can chew with this, Nezavisimaya Gazeta writes.
Captain First Rank (Ret.) Oleg Shvedkov, chairman of the Central Committee of the All-Russian Professional Union of Servicemen, points out that the Iranian Navy has maritime weapons it can use not only to mine the Strait of Hormuz but also to combat enemy naval vessels and submarines. "It’s Iran’s underwater fleet, which has not demonstrated its combat capabilities yet. The Americans have been unable to destroy it," the expert noted. According to him, the Iranian Navy’s underwater fleet is capable of shutting down the Strait of Hormuz for years, while attempts to unblock it would lead to major combat losses.
