Iranian Forces Raid UK Tanker from Sea & Air

by Avi Abelow
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Iran released a video showing Iran’s Revolutionary Guards raiding a UK Tanker from sea and air. Iranian speedboats pull up alongside the seized British-flagged oil tanker. Troops wearing ski masks and carrying machine guns then rappel onto the deck of the seized UK tanker from a helicopter above. The Iranian forces then forced the ship, with its 23-strong crew, to Bandar Abbas, one of the Iran’s main military ports.

If you listen carefully as the Iranian forces descend from the helicopter, you will hear an off-camera voice shouting “God is Great.”

In response, the British government warns of ‘serious consequences.

What Happened

On Friday, a UK tanker, the Stena Impero, was seized by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in the Strait of Hormuz, which is a key shipping route in the Gulf.

Iranian forces also boarded second British-owned tanker, the MV Mesdar, but released it.

Tehran said the Stena Impero was “violating international maritime rules”.

Iran said that their forces seized the tanker because it collided with a fishing boat and failed to respond to calls from the smaller craft.

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt reacted for Britain saying that the British ship seized in Omani waters in “clear contravention of international law” and then forced to sail into Iran.

The tanker’s owners, Stena Bulk, said it had been complying with regulations and had been in international waters.

The seizure of the UK ship comes two weeks after British Royal Marines helped seize an Iranian tanker off the shores of Gibraltar, because it was carrying oil to Syria in breach of EU sanctions.

At the time, Iran reacted to the seizure of the Iraninan tanker saying that it was “piracy” and threatened to seize a British oil tanker in retaliation.

UK Foreign Secretary Hunt has made clear that the UK is not looking into military options.


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