UK oil tanker seizure

[KitKat1985]

Surprised that there doesn't seem to be any threads in chat about this yet (if there is and I've started a second in error I apologise).

Anyone else watching the developments with this anxiously, given the current tensions that exist between the UK, USA and Iran. I am hoping this can be resolved quickly, safely and diplomatically; and without need for military escalation from either side.

Oil tanker bound for Syria detained in Gibraltar

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-48865030

I can't believe that ships going through that region aren't escorted in some kind of convoy system.

It was goady action by Iran to flout the rules but should we just have ignored that?

I don't believe it happened. I think its the start of a manipulation by our government. Someone wants a war.

It will be interesting to see how Jeremey Hunt handles this

One of the most effective things to do would be ship a load of extinction rebellion protesters over there with their green boats

This is on Trump. His dumping on the nuclear deal (to spite Obama) and sanctions is hurting the ordinary people. Iranians are pissed off and tweaking the nose of anyone they think will step in - they think they are playing cute here.

It’s a mess. The history of that area is a mess - and mostly of the west’s making.

I'm scared too. I remember a diplomat saying to me just as Iraq were collapsing militarily in the last war (I know it then went on, but I mean the official military collapse)that at least we weren't fighting Iran who would be a completely different proposition.

I'm also worried that it's a bit of a perfect storm with a very dim US President and a warmonger at State. And in three months we are on our own. The symbolism for Iraq of crushing the UK or even inflicting some sort of symbolic defeat on us is so great.

I really wish people would stop believing what they see on the news, half of it is a work of fiction.

Which half though?

The half that involves trying to shift public perception. Sports and the weather is probably true, I would take the rest with a pinch of salt.

So what’s your take on this instance?

And the weather is frequently wrong! Where were my thunder storms yesterday?

We are part of the EU and therefore bound by regulations. The guardian article is worrying but who knows what's what at the moment. We can only go on what we know rather than conspiracy theories.

M

Remember that hurricane we were told we weren't getting? And we never get our forecast thunderstorms or snow 90% of the time.

I predict that someone wants a war pretty soon. This is just the beginnings of an excuse for one.

The news is not 'what we know'.

The guardian is a like to poo though. The reporting and bias is pretty awful.

Given that the US has imposed sanctions on Iran and has issues with any country / organisation doing trade with Iran, many countries are left in a difficult position with this. They aren't strong enough economically to stand up to the US and its attitudes towards Iran.

Nearly all media is bias, manipulation or made up stuff.

The attitude goes back to the revolution. All palsy before that. They could have stepped in when it happened but didn’t.

The US do nothing to Saudi - where most of the ideological nonsense evolved, where most of the 9/11 murderers came from. They cosy up to them. Why is this?

Listening to the recording of the radio exchange is interesting. Iran not interested in obeying international law.

To be honest though, other EU countries ie Spain didn’t seize the tanker as it passed through so the only reason we did so was not to uphold EU law but to do what the US told us too, like puppets in a play.
Sadly with a depleted military and neither to EU or US willing to back us up, we put ourselves in the firing line

Did the US tell us to do it though? if so please could you provide a link for that as I've not seen that anywhere and would be interested to read it. Gibraltar is a British overseas territory. And as for the EU, why do people refer to the EU as though it's separate from us? We are part of the EU.