Iran Crisis – British Oil Tanker Seized: Telegraph

Iran seized one British-flagged oil tanker, claiming it had violated international maritime law, and briefly detained another, in what Harriet Alexander and Chris Graham, writing for the Telegraph, called “a major escalation of tensions in the Gulf.” Oil prices are rising. The first vessel had been headed for Saudi Arabia before sailing near an Iranian island and then stopped transmitting messages. Iran accused the ship of turning off its tracker. British Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt called the seizure “unacceptable” and US President Donald Trump suggested Iran is in trouble. The ship’s crew is a mix of nationalities. Iran has stopped multiple ships, including one no one has yet claimed, and some analysts suggest the recent seizures are in retaliation for British authorities seizing an Iran tanker off the coast of Gibraltar to prevent crude oil heading to Syria. “The Trump administration is trying to block Iran’s exports to put pressure on it to renegotiate the 2015 nuclear deal it abandoned last year,” the Telegraph reports. “Iran has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz if it cannot export its oil.” The US will dispatch additional troops to the Saudi Arabia, which could increase tensions for that nation. Some analysts suggest that military escorts could accompany oil tankers, but a larger military presence in the region could trigger more accidents or clashes. – YaleGlobal