Posted on 05/23/2020 3:11:06 PM PDT by blam
By as early as the evening on Saturday or Sunday morning it's expected that the first among the five Iranian tankers transporting fuel to gasoline-starved Venezuela will enter the Latin American country's coastal waters.
Maduro officials have issued an emergency notice to the United Nations of an illegal "threat of imminent use of military force by the United States."
And with Washington threatening to block what it deems "sanctions-busting" by two "rogue states" - both under severe sanctions - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has issued his own last minute warning.
Today we alerted the UN Security Council and Secretary General Antonio Guterres of the threat of imminent use of military force by the United States against Iranian vessels carrying Venezuelan-directed gasoline. An act of war under international law.
See here: pic.twitter.com/jyp8kqQZsQ Samuel Moncada (@SMoncada_eng) May 22, 2020 If our tankers in the Caribbean or anywhere in the world face trouble caused by the Americans, they [the United States] will also be in trouble, Rouhani told the Emir of Qatar in a phone call, Tasnim News reported.
The Maduro government said days ago that it would send a military escort in the form of planes and ships once the tankers enter Venezuela's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), or within 200 miles of the coast.
Rouhani expressed hope there wouldn't be a showdown or conflict, however, amid prior reports of a Trump-ordered US 'naval build-up' in the Caribbean, in part to crackdown on what the administration has referred to Maduro's narcotrafficking operations in the region. The Iranian oil tanker Clavel headed through the Strait of Gibraltar earlier this month, via AP. We hope the Americans will not make a mistake, Rouhani stressed further to Qatars head of state, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. Iran previously warned that any US attempt
(snip)
(Excerpt) Read more at ussanews.com ...
Will we stop them before 200 miles out...or will we opt for a target rich environment?
Blow them out of the water.
Run silent.
Run deep...
... it'd be a shame if they found some of them ...
Makes sense,then we can spend a gazillion bucks to clean up the petroleum mess on and in the waters
Isn’t there a way to make those tankers rudderless?
We don’t need to sink them, just blow out the engines to prevent them from navigating.
They are loaded with military supplys
Left out,
Run Stupid
Gasoline will burn up.
Not like crude.
I think we will seize them and then give Iran a taste of their medicine.
Let them pass.
This is a no win situation. Iran is taking far more harm from sanctions.
If intel determines hold is all petrol
Either way an avoidable mess
In an oil rich resource nation btw. Aint socialism grand?
Or simply evaporate. Might cause smog for a day or so in the vicinity.
I don’t see any reports of any US military vessels in the area.
Isnt there a way to make those tankers rudderless?
We dont need to sink them, just blow out the engines to prevent them from navigating.
Sorry, neocons. I am unabashedly with Iran and Venezuela on this. Quit with Regime Change/Empire building.
gasoline-starved Venezuela In an oil rich resource nation btw. Aint socialism grand?
They are loaded with military supplys
That, and probably other nasties. The oil/gas is a ruse.
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.