Posted on 07/19/2019 1:05:57 PM PDT by sinsofsolarempirefan
A British-flagged oil tanker was seized by Iran on Friday night and was heading towards a Revolutionary Guard base, in a major escalation of tensions along one of the world's most vital oil shipping routes.
The Stena Impero had been en route to Saudi Arabia but made an abrupt change of course and began moving towards the Iranian island of Qeshm, according to data relayed by maritime tracking services.
The ship “went dark”, meaning its identification system was turned off, at 16:29 UK time and nothing has been heard from her or her 23 crew since.
Northern Marine, a Clyde-based subsidiary of the ship's Swedish owner Stena AB, confirmed that a “hostile action” had preceded the vessel's change of course on Friday afternoon.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
I hear Vince Vance and the Valiants warming-up.
Clearly an act of war.
Ike’s Suez canal response made good sense for decades, until the ‘embargo’.
Since then it’s been passe, but big changes are slow to happen.
> I don’t understand what Iran hopes to gain from this. <
I will play the devil’s advocate here. The U.K. seized an Iranian ship because that ship violated “sanctions”. But Iran never agreed to those sanctions! It would be like if Russia said that no foreign ship may enter the Black Sea, then seized a U.S. ship that did so.
The U.S. would have to respond. It would be a matter of national pride. The same applies to Iran. It had to seize a U.K. ship. It’s a matter of national pride.
Lucky Jack Aubrey weeps.
“What most people may not realize is that the Strait of Hormuz is NOT international waters. It is only 21 miles wide at its narrowest point, so any ship passing through it must pass through the 12-mile territorial waters of either Iran or the United Arab Emirates.”
Any attempt by Iran to block commerce in the straits of Harmuz is a violation of international law as per UNCLOS and the 1958 Geneva Convention.
Yes we did impose the sanctions and other nations were told adhere to the sanctions.
LOL— Iranian special forces. Thanks for the laugh break.
SAS and SEALS would take the ship and then ship-drivers drive the boat.
Hey, a Steven Segal did something like this in a movie so it MUST work.
You are seriously funny. The Iranians have just proven that they can take an oil tanker if they want to do so. So please, tell me, how exactly does risking the lives of our military men to take it back prevent them from doing it again? And again. And again.
Sad to hear Hannity beating war drums and threatening Iran (as if Sean Hannity is some kind of world power).
I hope President Trump follows his instincts and stays out of it. They’re not our ships.
>>I hope President Trump follows his instincts and stays out of it. They’re not our ships.<<
Just hope Iran doesn’t develop nuclear weapons.
I don’t understand what Iran hopes to gain from this. They have to know they’ll just get their ass kicked?President Trump has maneuvered his economic chess pieces into a position where Iran will eventually be checkmated.
Their only chance of thwarting his strategy is to goad him into making a move based on impulse instead of logic.
So far, he's resisted their efforts.
By seizing that UK ship, Iran committed a hostile act. But it can be reasonably argued that the UK’s previous seizure of that Iranian ship was also a hostile act. Yes, that Iranian ship violated sanctions. I agree with those sanctions. But from the Iranian point of view, who are the British and the US to tell a sovereign nation what it can and cannot ship?
It’s a mess. But it’s not a mess starting a war over. John Bolton, are you listening?
nothing would isolate Iran more than destroying their Navy
Britain is not a free nation. Cut the ties.
Yeah yes....
That is exactly what Trump is doing to Iran (without nukes), and why the Iranian regime is acting out.
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