They would have done more to stop the seizure, but it was tea time...
Cheerio!
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 ...
“This is the Royal Navy that not so long ago endured missile attacks and air raids and hung in there in the Falklands.”
In only one generation the Royal Navy went from stud to impotent.
Obviously the RN warship didn’t really try to stop the Iranians from illegally seizing the tanker, as IF they had tried the Iranian raiders would be sleeping with the fishes & the Iranian boats would have been sunk.
Yours, TMN78247
Is this the same Royal Navy that sunk the Bismarck?
British fagged ship.
“Stop, Or we shall write a stern letter to the Times!”
Yep! True that! (Snicker, snicker)
(Snicker, snicker)
Abject Surrender Alert!
What’s ironic is that Britain will imprison its own citizens, such as Tommy Robinson, merely for exercising freedom of speech, but it can’t stand up to third world tyrannies. Or maybe that’s actually not so ironic.
bttt
Even Monty Python couldn’t make this up.
Might as well take down the Lord Admiral Nelson monument at Trafalgar Square.
Next step, they are going to try harsh language. If that fails, a diplomatic note.
Or, they could just sink the Revolutionary Guard boats.
““This is the Royal Navy that not so long ago endured missile attacks and air raids and hung in there in the Falklands.”-
- Where the Brits lost the HMS Coventry due to inadequate air defense capability compounded by the poor decision of her Capt. to cross the bow of the HMS Broadsword which did have the capability to shoot down the incoming air attack.
If you’re muslim and you don’t stop, they don’t do anything.
If you’re white, they open fire on you.
I remember a few years ago when a Russian ship was seized by Somali pirates. It was recaptured by ruthless Russian special forces who then loaded up the Somali pirates including their wounded into their boat and then riddled it with gunfire sinking it. Videos were made of the event and circulated worldwide. Needless to say Somali pirates never again molested any Russian ship.
Where is Mr. Bean when they need him?!
Actually they were not special forces. They were armed merchant marines and sappers. They supplied these pirates with plenty of fuel and mined the boat - explosion w/fireball happened a short time later.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.