Iran’s Gulf Buildup Alarming Chemical Weapons, 6,000 Troops Could Cripple Oil Flow
Iran has installed chemical weapons along with 6,000 troops near the mouth of the Persian Gulf in a military buildup capable of crippling the flow of oil in the region, Defense Secretary William Perry said Wednesday.
“We really do not know why Iran would choose to deploy chemical weapons there, but we consider it to be a very negative factor,” Perry told reporters aboard the USS McClusky. The Navy frigate was making a port call at Abu Dhabi, largest of the seven United Arab Emirates.
He said it was important for the Gulf Arab states to fully understand the nature of the threat Iran poses.
Perry, on a six-day Gulf tour, has been urging Arab allies to upgrade their defenses and improve ties with the U.S. military in the face of military buildups by both Iraq and Iran. He arrived in Qatar late Wednesday to discuss the storage of supplies for a U.S. armored brigade, one of three Washington wants to stockpile in the region.
The defense secretary has warned repeatedly in recent days of Iran’s weapons buildup near the mouth of the Persian Gulf, but he had not previously mentioned chemical weapons. Perry said he could not discuss the type of chemical weapons Iran has deployed or their delivery system.
Perry said the arsenal also includes Chinese-made Silkworm anti-ship and Hawk anti-aircraft missiles, as well as about 6,000 troops.
The defense secretary said the chemical weapons give Tehran the capability to harass shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, through which half of the world’s oil is transported.
The chemical weapons also could be used to defend islands in the strait that are claimed by both Iran and the United Arab Emirates, Perry said.
While Perry did not say exactly where the troops or chemical weapons were located, the Pentagon has said the Iranians have increased defenses on one of the disputed islands called Abu Musa - one of three islands claimed by both Iran and the United Arab Emirates.
Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, Kamal Kharrazi denied Perry’s assertion about the chemical weapons… sense to deploy chemical weapons on the islands. What’s the use of it?” he told ABC News in New York.
During Perry’s stop Tuesday in Bahrain, the top U.S. Navy admiral in the region, Vice Adm. Scott Redd, briefed the defense secretary on Iran’s use of two Russian-made Kiloclass submarines and their recent purchase of five Chinese-made fast-attack patrol boats.