In yet another attack on trade, the lifeblood of the West, this time an oil tanker was boarded by “unauthorized crew members in military-style black uniforms” in the Gulf of Oman off the coast of Iran.
Communications with an oil tanker were lost in the Gulf of Oman early Thursday morning. It is believed that masked men boarded the plane and diverted it towards Iran. The UK Maritime Trade Operations Center (UKMTO), run by the Royal Navy, warned seafarers operating in the area that the vessel had “four to five armed unauthorized persons in military uniform on board.” “I was doing it,” he announced. Black uniform and black mask. ”
UKMTO said the boarding took place at around 3:30am London time (2:30pm Eastern time Wednesday) and that an “unknown voice” was heard in communications between the captain and the shipowner's security office. . Communication with the oil tanker was lost and it diverted away from Oman and into Iranian territorial waters.
For Western countries dependent on imports, costs will rise as long as the Houthis continue to close the Red Sea. https://t.co/jaKab0GdSJ
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) December 21, 2023
british sky news Ambry, a security contractor that operates its own private navy, claims the ship is the oil tanker St. Nicholas, which was home to a team of six men who “hidden surveillance cameras while on board.” He is said to have been on board. If the St. Nicholas is involved as claimed, it is the same oil tanker that was previously involved in the conflict between Iran and the United States last year.
This ship was then called Suez Rajan. Transporting nearly 1 million barrels of Iranian crude oil against China, which the United States claimed violated international sanctions. The US seized the tanker in April 2023, and the oil was taken to the US instead.
Although the perpetrators of today's attack on the Gulf of Oman oil tanker have not yet been definitively established, the St. Nicholas' history in the U.S.-Iranian conflict, its boarding location, and its departure for Iran after its seizure suggest a Tehran attack. There is. Involved.
Progress against inflation could be undermined by Houthi attack on cargo shiphttps://t.co/3IU9rHzGBz
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) December 26, 2023
The boarding was just the latest of dozens of attacks on commercial ships, including oil tankers, car carriers and container ships, in recent weeks, with attacks on Western economies masterminded by Iran linked to Hamas terrorist attacks. It is escalating into a broader war against Western interests. Israel last year. So far, such maritime attacks on commercial ships have been carried out by Iran-backed Yemeni Shi'ite Houthi militias, which carry out attacks in the Red Sea. Like the Gulf of Oman, it is an important waterway for world trade and is characterized by its narrow straits. Being a strategically important strait, ships are vulnerable to attack and sabotage.
While small Western navies scramble to fend off attacks, attacks on trade in two different theaters at the same time could effectively cover merchant shipping and resupply deployed warships. It's going to be more difficult. A coordinated attack would also likely undermine market confidence in the safety of maritime trade and drive up maritime insurance prices, an impact that would almost certainly have significant knock-on effects on consumer prices and inflation.
On Wednesday, the US Navy and RN repelled 21 drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles from Yemen toward civilian ships in the Red Sea, in the largest attack yet on the shipping lanes.
Houthis launch largest-ever attack on Red Sea shipping; US and Royal Navy defend https://t.co/N77EKPvFE6
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) January 10, 2024
