British officials are scrambling after two UK tankers were captured by Iran in one dramatic day in the gulf — or rather we should clarify that the Stena Impero is UK flagged but not owned by a UK company (the owner ‘Stena Bulk’ is based in Sweden), while the Mesdar is Liberian flagged but is in fact owned by a UK company.
However, Iranian state media is denying that the Liberian flagged, UK-owned tanker captured is still being held, with new reports that it may have been released, per the following wire updates:
Norbulk Shipping UK says Liberian registered vessel Mesdar was boarded by armed personnel at approximately 17:30 BST on Friday.
…Norbulk says armed guards have left and the vessel is now free to continue to voyage, crew safe and well.
UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt voiced that Britain is “extremely concerned” by the “unacceptable” seizure of the two vessels IRGC forces in the Strait of Hormuz. “I will shortly attend a COBR meeting to review what we know and what we can do to swiftly secure the release of the two vessels,” he said in reference to a Cabinet Office Briefing Room over the major crisis, which is equivalent to the National Security Council’s ‘situation room’ meetings.
“Their crews comprise a range of nationalities, but we understand there are no British citizens on board either ship,” Hunt continued, according to the AP. “These seizures are unacceptable. It is essential that freedom of navigation is maintained and that all ships can move safely and freely in the region.”
Meanwhile the UK Chamber of Shipping also said it “condemn unreservedly” the capture of the British-owned vessel, and it remains unclear the precise order of the pair of tankers’ capture; however, news first broke of the Stena Impero’s capture late in the day.
Just Recorded: Here Are Both Oil Tankers That Have Been “Seized” By Iran pic.twitter.com/U2RyGGpxvf
— Alastair Williamson (@StockBoardAsset) July 19, 2019
Addressing the crisis, President Trump told reporters at the White House, “We have a very close alliance with the United Kingdom. We always have.”
And in an early indication that Trump will be content to let the UK take the lead on this crisis (also considering there was no threat of war), the president said: “We’ll talk to the UK… We heard about it. We heard it was one. We heard it was two,” according to CNN.
“This only goes to show what I’m saying about Iran. Trouble. Nothing but trouble,” Trump stated. “It goes to show you I was right about Iran.” The president added, “We have a lot of ships there that are warships.”
On that point, a breaking CNN report notes the US military has significantly stepped up patrols in the Persian Gulf following news of the tankers’ seizure.
Specifically American aircraft are said to be escorting an unidentified US cargo ship:
The US is taking measures to protect a ship near where two British tankers were seized by Iran.
According to a US defense official with direct knowledge, at this hour, the US military is monitoring the transit of US commercial cargo ship through the Strait of Hormuz using armed aircraft overhead. The US will not say the location or other details, but the transit typically takes six to eight hours.
The US cargo ship is reportedly traversing the same narrow, dangerous waters near where the prior two vessels were captured by IRGC operatives.
#Iran FM Zarif to BBC: The UK should not claim that it wants to preserve the #JCPOA when it helps the US impose its illegal oil sanctions against Iran by confiscating the oil tanker off the coast of Gibraltar. pic.twitter.com/zVejssfmEv
— Walid (@walid970721) July 19, 2019
Crucially, all of this comes just as UK officials have announced authorties in Gibraltar will detain the tanker ‘Grace 1’ – first seized early this month by UK Royal Marines – for another 30 days.
via ZeroHedge News https://ift.tt/2Y2qent Tyler Durden