Iran seizes ship traveling under U.S. guard

[U201491]

Apparently not under enough guard ??

Iran seizes ship traveling under U.S. guard

http://www.wnd.com/2015/04/iran-seizes-ship-traveling-under-u-s-guard/?cat_orig=world

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[Goosebrown]

Its more complex than that. The ship is flagged in the Marshall Islands to avoid taxes. Marshall Islands has an agreement with the US (who is not getting any tax money from this... ) to protect its ships.

Well this ship, the Maersk Tigris, had docked in Iran at some point in the past and not paid fees and then run. The Iranians have seized the ship to get their port fees and such back. There are dozens if not hundreds of ships that passage the Straits of Hormuz every day. They didn't pick any of the others or go and take two. They didn't take an American ship. They in fact are behaving in the exact manner any nation would in a dispute like this. IIRC, there was a Russian ship held in Seattle(?) for a couple years on the same sort of thing. They couldn't pay the bill so they sat there till they could.

I am not a friend of Iran in any way and would love to see PersianGlass all over their nuclear facilities, but Thinking this is more than it is probably isn't going to go anywhere.

 

[NoFlinch]

Thanks for that explanation of that whole thing.

I couldn't figger' it out with what I had read

 

[Sstrand]

Our navy couldn't get permission to help . . .The emperor was playing golf and couldn't be disturbed!!!!

Sheldon

 

[Goosebrown]

Not exactly true. The nearest USN ship was 60nm from the freighter when it was intercepted. The Iranians gave a verbal message to heave to. The Tigris did not respond. The Iranians fired across her bow. The Tigris refused to respond. Now this is in Iranian waters despite it being a legal shipping lane with right to passage, it does not mean a ship is free from following regular maritime law which does allow the legal authorities to ask a ship to heave to for inspection. The Iranians fired again and the Tigris hove to.

What? Maybe 20 minutes?

What was a destroyer going to do from 60nm in 20 minutes? I guess maybe sink the ship with a harpoon or three...

Once the Iranians were on board, there wasn't much to do unless you want to shed blood over what amounts to a tax dispute involving a ship that, while your responsibility, is registered SPECIFICALLY to avoid the taxes that pay for her defense and which is crewed by not a single American.

Don't like Mr. Obama either or the Iranians... (amazing how often his name comes up in the same sentence as Iran...) but this is a non-story.

Maybe even a good thing. Let shippers know that if they want to dodge American taxes they forgo American protection.

 

[Stomper]

The Iranians crossed the red line.... Obama is busy moving that red line to another position like he did with Syria. That's why we haven't heard a word from the White (thats racist!) House.

 

[NoFlinch]

What exactly was on board?

 

[Sstrand]

NoFlinvh
If it was loaded with golf equipment the emperor would have personally supervised a drone strike.

Sheldon

 

[ocarolan]

Maersk annual profit = $20 billion, guessing they can pay the port fee and move on. Glad no Americans were on board.