While most of the world has focused on the Iranian nuclear threat, Tehran has been gradually moving to try to assume control over the Strait of Hormuz with more conventional weaponry.

How important is this crucial waterway? About 40 percent of the world's crude oil exports are shipped through the narrow strait bordered by Iran and Oman. Estimates for 2025 run as high as 60 percent. Closing the waterway would put a stranglehold on the lifeblood of the world economy—oil.

Token Western forces patrol these waters. However, according to Commentary, "The Tehran regime has made no secret of its desire to gain control of the Straits, as part of its larger strategy of turning the Gulf into an Iranian lake." A senior Iranian government official told the European Union, "We have the power to halt oil supply . . . down to the last drop." (Source: Commentary.)