Posted on 07/21/2019 4:51:40 PM PDT by Hadean
DUBAI —A British warship tried but failed to prevent Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from seizing a British tanker in the Strait of Hormuz last week, intercepted radio communications show, fueling a wave of recriminations in London on Sunday over who was to blame for the incident last week.
In recordings obtained by the shipping consultancy Dryad Global and posted on its website Sunday, a member of the Revolutionary Guard is heard ordering the British-flagged Stena Impero tanker to divert course toward Iran.
“Alter your course,” the man says. “If you obey you will be safe.”
A British naval officer interrupts, telling the Stena Impero that it has the right to proceed through the waterway.
“Under international law your passage must not be impeded, obstructed or hampered,” he says.
The British officer then addresses the Iranian: “Please confirm that you are not intending to violate international law by unlawfully attempting to board the MV Stena.”
Neither Britain nor Iran challenged the authenticity of the recordings.
Iran says it detained the Stena Impero for unspecified “violations” of maritime law.
A former head of the Royal Navy said the tanker should have been better protected before it was intercepted on Friday.
In London, British Defense Minister Tobias Ellwood pushed the criticism aside. The priority now, Ellwood said, must be to “de-escalate tensions” with Tehran after Iranian forces.
“Our first and most important responsibility is to make sure that we get a solution to the issue to do with the current ship, make sure other British-flagged ships are safe to operate in these waters and then look at the wider picture,” he said on Sunday.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
and according to a freeper the Russians conduct hunt-a-pirate tours - deliberately baiting the pirates then allowing the client to waste them with AKs and other meaningful and fun toys.
The tanker was headed into the Gulf through the strait. It isn’t that wide. The tanker simply made a turn to starboard and was inside Iranian waters before the frigate could overtake (assuming it was even in a position to do so).
The IRG is desperately trying to start a shooting war.
The more we lie down and take this crap, the more they'll do.
Other sources suggest that the Montrose was 60 minutes away from being able to help.
Not ironic at all. The fascist government of Britain is a bully, boldly taking a stand against those who cannot fight back, cowering in the face of Iranian acts of war.
I thought pirating a ship was illegal?
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