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 ...
Yup. I’m not kidding either: https://matadornetwork.com/pulse/paying-money-to-murder-russian-luxury-yachts-offer-pirate-hunting-cruises/
I would settle for destruction of all of Iran’s storage tanks for avgas and gasoline...
And I wonder...
What would just one “MOAB” do to the Revolutionary Guards’ naval base in Bandar Abbas?
Yup. They were afraid of him BEFORE he was even sworn in!! They knew what was coming.
Somali pirates used to take huge tankers and those guys had nothing but small arms.
Policy from tanker owners usually prohibit fighting back. That’s changing and that’s why huge ships near Somalia are not being taken - ex SAS and SEALS kill the pirates.
Tomahawks and other weapon systems are unmanned so no risk to US lives.
Not all fights require US lives put at risk.
Sounds a lot like Mexico...
No, cuz America is racist or some crap. the Brits have a navy and are free to do whatever their pure, now-muzzy, hearts desire.
Seizing a British flagged ship is an act of war. So far England has done nothing aside from the current PM calling our POTUS a racist.
They are both looking for ways to make Trump look bad and lose the election. No one is trying to provoke a war per se, although that may be the result of undermining Trump’s resolve.
Disagree
Only a temporary check, he was destabilizing elsewhere.
I’m not going to argue the point.
It would give them a chance to annihilate Israel—that’s what they think anyway.
Absolutely agree!
really? have they patented this idea. Sounds like a winner on the Mexican border.
THIS is probably the real reason why the Trump administration is keeping its distance over this stupid nonsense going on there. It would be pathetic for the U.S. to engaging in military action to enforce a UN agreement that isn’t even legally binding for American companies and individuals.
Things must really be going crappy for China in the trade war. Don’t take the bait Mr. President. Iran is a mercenary state for hire for those who want to pester America but don’t have the balls to do it directly. In this case I’m looking at you China, you cheeky bastards
It only works because the Somali pirates operate out in. International waters. Unfortunately, something similar would not be legal at all down by the border.
Heating up. Nothing. This is WW III.
Banking on the UK wussing out, just like they did when Argentina invaded the Falklands...wait a minute.
that’s an interesting twist.
Another one is that it turns out the Iranians captured the tanker in Omani waters.
Well, at this point it’s all just fuss and hullabaloo.
Too many tankers in the area and not enough escort vessels.
Now they have a new cargo ship traded for an old ship.
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