Advertisement“I’m extremely concerned by the seizure of two naval vessels by Iranian authorities in the Strait of Hormuz,” Hunt said in a statement. Two weeks earlier, British marines seized an Iranian tanker off the British territory of Gibraltar, claiming the ship was carrying oil to Syria in violation of international sanctions. In recent days, Iranian officials had warned there would be retaliation for Britain’s seizure of the 1,000-foot supertanker, Grace 1. Trump has been seeking to pressure Iranian officials to reopen negotiations on its nuclear program and other issues, but his overtures have been largely rebuffed. “Planning beyond that is going to be deferred and distracted.”The crew’s fate is likely to be linked to a decision in Gibraltrar about the seized Iranian tanker and its crew.

Source: Los Angeles Times July 20, 2019 00:33 UTC