The oil pipeline constructed by the UAE will bypass the Hormuz Strait. It will be launched in May or June, Energy Minister Muhammed bin Dain al-Hamili said, RIA Novosti reports.
Iranian military have recently held military drills called Velayat-90, ending with tests of long-range missiles. The drills were held on December 24 – January 2. The training area covered some 2,000 square kms in the Hormuz Strait and the Oman Strait.
Iran warned that it may close the Hormuz Strait, an important route for petroleum exports from the Gulf. Parviz Sarvari, a member of the parliamentary commission for national security, said in mid-December that closing of the Hormuz Strait was simulated as part of the training. Press secretary of the Foreign Ministry of Iran Ramin Mehmanparast said that Tehran would not close the strait.
Iranian Vice-President Mohammad Reza Rahimi said on December 27 that the strait would be closed if Western states imply an embargo on Iranian oil exports. Rear Admiral Habibula Sayari said that the decision will be made by the Iranian government.
The Fifth US Fleet in Bahrain promised to prevent closing of the Hormuz Strait. It connects the Oman Strait and the Gulf. The northern coast is controlled by Iran, the southern – by UAE and Oman, US allies.
