From:
slider@atashram.com
IRAN OIL CRISIS: Tehran warning to US - Armed forces to GUARD tankers
against ‘ANY THREAT'
IRAN’S armed forces will protect Iranian oil tankers against any threats,
an Iranian military official said on Monday after the United States called
the ships a "floating liability" and warned ports operators not to allow
them to dock.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1044266/iran-oil-news-iran-oil-tankers-army-usa-latest-crude-oil-prices
The United States resumed sanctions on Iran's oil, shipping and banking industries last Monday after US President Donald Trump pulled out of a
2015 international agreement curbing Iran's nuclear programme in May.
According to the semi-official news agency ISNA, Rear-Admiral Mahmoud
Mousavi, a deputy commander of the regular armed forces, said: "Iran's
armed forces...are prepared today as in the past to protect our fleet of
oil tankers against any threats so that it can continue to use marine waterways.” His comments appeared to be a response to US Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook, who said last week that Iranian
vessels would lose access to international insurance markets under the US sanctions and so would be a risk to ports and canals which allowed them
access.
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Mr Hook said: "From the Suez Canal to the Strait of Malacca and all choke-points in between, Iranian tankers are a floating liability.”
Iranian media reported his remarks as a threat against Iranian tankers
that carry Iran's crude and oil products.
Mr Mousavi said that creating hindrances to transportation through international waterways would be unacceptable.
He said: ”Iran's armed forces have the preparedness to protect our
commercial fleet...as they have in the past 40 years.”
Mr Hook also raised the possibility that countries and port operators
could face US penalties for facilitating what he called Iran's "illicit activities" if they allowed Iranian ships access to international
waterways and port facilities.
Mohammad Rastad, head of Iran's Ports and Maritime Organization, said
Tehran would file a complaint next week to the International Maritime Organization over "cruel US sanctions and restrictions on maritime
transport," according to the state news agency IRNA.
US Special Representative Mr Hook had also said the sanctions had already
cost Iran billions of dollars in oil revenue since May, but Iranian vice-president Eshaq Jahangiri said Iran had sold as much oil as it needed
to.
Iran has one of the world's biggest tanker fleets but many of the ships
are ageing and require valid insurance, testing, inspection and
certification, known as ship classification, to be able to ply
international waters again.
Iranian officials have threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz, a major
oil shipping route, if the United States attempts to stop the Islamic Republic's oil exports
### - this last above statement is what is prolly being reflected in the markets, any war-talk always instantly affecting the markets...
'blocking the Strait of Hormuz' instantly spelling war if/when the US
respond to try and keep them open and has always been a major potential
flash point, the US threatening to block traffic being one thing, actually doing so being another + once exchanges started would be very difficult to
stop without taking iran completely out of the picture...
let's just hope it doesn't actually go that far eh?
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