Britain has been plunged into a diplomatic row with Iran after Royal Marines seized an Iranian oil tanker as it passed through the Strait of Gibraltar, in a move likely to further inflame tensions in the Gulf. The 30 commandos boarded the ship by abseiling from a Wildcat helicopter and climbing aboard from a Pacific 24 high-speed boat, allowing 16 Royal Gibraltar Police officers to search the vessel in a safe manner. Marcos Moreno/AP The Grace 1 supertanker was boarded by British commandos on Thursday, apparently following a request from the US. The vessel was one of four found to be involved in shipping Iranian fuel oil in violation of US sanctions by a Reuters investigation earlier this year. It may also harm British, French and German efforts to save the 2015 nuclear deal and to defuse a confrontation between the US and Iran in the Gulf.

Source: Stuff July 05, 2019 02:03 UTC