Iran says it seized tanker after collision, UK fears 'dangerous path' - Reuters

GENEVA/LONDON (Reuters) - Iran said on Saturday it seized a British-flagged oil tanker because it was involved in an accident, but Britain’s foreign minister said he feared Tehran was taking “a dangerous path” and other major European powers expressed alarm.

Undated handout photograph shows the Stena Impero, a British-flagged vessel owned by Stena Bulk, at an undisclosed location, obtained by Reuters on July 19, 2019. Stena Bulk/via REUTERS

Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards took control of the Stena Impero in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday after it collided with an Iranian fishing boat whose distress call it ignored, the Fars news agency reported.

The vessel and its crew would remain in the Iranian port of Bander Abbas while the accident was investigated, it said, quoting the head of Ports and Maritime Organisation in southern Hormozgan province, Allahmorad Afifipour.

France and Germany joined Britain in condemning the seizure.

GRAPHIC: Map of tanker's route - tmsnrt.rs/2O646ZX

All three countries are signatories to the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers that Washington undermined by quitting last year, setting Iran’s already fragile relations with the West on a downward spiral.

“We have learned with great concern of the seizure of a British vessel by Iranian forces,” France’s foreign ministry said. “We strongly condemn it and express our full solidarity with the United Kingdom.”

A German foreign ministry spokesman said further escalation of regional tensions “would be very dangerous (and)... undermine all ongoing efforts to find a way out of the current crisis.”

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he would talk to Britain about the seizure, which drove oil prices up above $62 a barrel and which Bahrain, where the U.S. Fifth Fleet is based, also condemned on Saturday.

Under the pact that Trump abandoned in 2018, Iran agreed to restrict nuclear work, long seen by the West as a cover for developing atomic bombs, in return for lifting sanctions. But sanctions have been imposed again, badly hurting Iran’s economy.

Britain’s foreign minister Jeremy Hunt said London’s reaction to Friday’s tanker seizure would be “considered but robust”, and it would ensure the safety of its shipping.

He accused Iran of a tit-for-tat response after the seizure by the British navy of Iran’s Grace 1 tanker in Gibraltar on July 4 on suspicion of smuggling oil to Syria in breach of European Union sanctions.

“Yesterday’s action in Gulf shows worrying signs Iran may be choosing a dangerous path of illegal and destabilising behaviour after Gibraltar’s legal detention of oil bound for Syria,” Hunt said on Twitter on Saturday.

On Friday, Hunt said the solution would be found via diplomacy and London was “not looking at military options.” Britain’s government said it had advised British shipping to stay out of the Hormuz area for an interim period.

A senior politician and Revolutionary Guards commander, Major General Mohsen Rezai, said on Twitter that Iran was also not looking for war, “but we are not going to come up short in reciprocating.”

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted on Saturday that Iran was the guarantor of security in the Gulf and the strait.

Afifipour said the vessel had been taken to Bander Abbas, situated on Iran’s southern coast and facing the strait.

The tanker was not carrying any cargo and the 23 crew members - 18 of them Indians - may be interviewed on technical matters, Afifipour later told the ISNA news agency.

In New Delhi, India’s foreign ministry said it was actively seeking the release and repatriation of its nationals from among the crew.

BLUNDERING TOWARDS WAR?

Operator Stena Bulk said on Friday the tanker had been “in full compliance with all navigation and international regulations”, but could not be contacted. It had no further comment early on Saturday.

The vessel had been heading to a port in Saudi Arabia and suddenly changed course after passing through the strait at the mouth of the Gulf, through which a fifth of the world’s oil supplies pass.

The United States has blamed Iran for a series of attacks on shipping around the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran rejects the allegations.

Washington also said it had this week downed an Iranian drone near where the Stena Impero was seized.

Iran on Friday denied that assertion and Zarif, quoted in Venezuela on Saturday by news agency IRNA, accused Washington of creating worldwide “instability, pressure on people and increased extremism and terrorism.”

The United States is sending military personnel and resources to Saudi Arabia for the first time since the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, and international concerns are growing that Washington and Tehran could blunder into a war in the strategic waterway.

Additional reporting by Parisa Hafezi in Dubai, Arno Schuetze in Frankfurt and John Irish in Paris; writing by William Schomberg in London; editing by John Stonestreet

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-iran-tanker/iran-says-it-seized-tanker-after-collision-uk-fears-dangerous-path-idUSKCN1UF03G

2019-07-20 12:13:28Z
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Hong Kong police make 'largest ever' seizure of explosives on eve of protests - CNN

The discovery comes on the eve of a series of high-profile protests planned over the weekend, amid high tensions in the semi-autonomous Chinese city over a now-suspended extradition bill.

At a press conference Saturday, police confirmed the arrest of 27-year-old man in connection with the raid at what officers called a homemade laboratory in the industrial area of Tsuen Wan.

Police uncovered 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of high explosives, 10 petrol bombs, corrosive liquids, weapons and metal poles at the property.

"It's the largest such seizure we have ever come across in Hong Kong," said Alick Mcwhirter, superintendent of the Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) Bureau. Leaflets linked to anti-extradition bill protests were also found on site.

Police said they were still testing the raw materials, but believe triacetone triperoxide (TATP) was found at different manufacturing stages at the suspected laboratory. EOD officers carried out a controlled explosion Saturday morning and were expected to perform more throughout the day.

A powerful high explosive, TATP was used in the November 2015 Paris attacks, the March 2016 Brussels bombings, the 2017 May Manchester bombing and a failed bomb attempt by an Islamist extremist at the Gare Centrale in Brussels in 2017.

TATP is made by adding acid to a mixture of acetone and hydrogen peroxide solution and can easily result in accidental detonation if mistakes are made in preparation.

Superintendent Steve Li Kwai-wah, of the Organized Crime and Triad Bureau, said the man arrested was wearing a shirt with the logo of the banned pro-independence group Hong Kong National Front.

Rallies are taking place across Hong Kong on Saturday and Sunday, with both pro-government and anti-extradition bill marches scheduled.

Li did not say if extra police would be arranged for protests this weekend as a result of the raid.

Mass demonstrations calling for government reforms and democracy have become a familiar sight in Hong Kong over the past six weeks, as hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets.

The demonstrations were initially sparked by strong public opposition to a bill that would have allowed people in Hong Kong to be extradited to face trial in mainland China.

Though the bill has since been suspended, demonstrations have continued against a backdrop of increased acrimony between protesters and police.

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https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/20/asia/hong-kong-explosives-haul-intl-hnk/index.html

2019-07-20 10:58:00Z
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Iran says it has captured a British-flagged oil tanker: Live updates - CNN

The British-flagged tanker, the Stena Impero, has become a pawn in the widening crisis between the Islamic Republic and Western powers in the Persian Gulf, as Iran fights to free itself from the crippling effects of continued American economic sanctions.

"This is classic Iranian escalatory behavior designed to show it can also push back," Sanam Vakil, senior research fellow at Chatham House in London, told CNN on Saturday.

But there could be serious consequences for Iran's aggression toward the UK, as it seeks to renew nuclear talks.

Iran's actions in the Strait came just hours after authorities in Gibraltar agreed to extend the detention of an Iranian oil tanker in its custody for 30 days. That ship, the Grace 1, was seized by British authorities on July 4, accused of attempting to transport oil to Syria in violation of European Union sanctions.

"The dangerous strategy for Iran is that this could push the UK closer to the United States and result in greater coordination between the two allies," Vakil said.

The UK -- one of three EU countries party to the Iran nuclear deal -- has worked to maintain the landmark agreement even after its ally, the US, dropped out. But Iran's escalation in the Strait makes that balancing act between saving the deal and appeasing Washington increasingly difficult.

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said on Twitter Saturday that the incident showed "worrying signs Iran may be choosing a dangerous path of illegal and destabilising behavior," adding that the UK's response would be "considered, but robust."

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2019-07-20 10:41:00Z
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Hong Kong police make 'largest ever' seizure of explosives on eve of protests - CNN

The discovery comes on the eve of a series of high-profile protests planned over the weekend, amid high tensions in the semi-autonomous Chinese city over a now-suspended extradition bill.

At a press conference Saturday, police confirmed the arrest of 27-year-old man in connection with the raid, at what police have described as a homemade laboratory in the industrial area of Tsuen Wan.

Police uncovered 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of high explosives, 10 petrol bombs, corrosive liquids, weapons and metal poles at the property.

"It's the largest such seizure we have ever come across in Hong Kong," said Alick Mcwhirter, superintendent of the Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) Bureau. Leaflets linked to anti-extradition bill protests were also found on site.

Police said they were still testing the raw materials, but believe Triacetone triperoxide (TATP) was found at different manufacturing stages at the suspected laboratory. EOD officers carried out a controlled explosion Saturday morning and were expected to perform more throughout the day.

A powerful high explosive, TATP was used in the November 2015 Paris attacks, the March 2016 Brussels bombings, the 2017 May Manchester bombing and a failed bomb attempt by an Islamist extremist at the Gare Centrale in Brussels in 2017.

TATP is made by adding an acid to a mixture of acetone and hydrogen peroxide solution and can easily result in accidental detonation if mistakes are made in preparation.

Superintendent Steve Li Kwai-wah, of the Organized Crime and Triad Bureau, said the man arrested was wearing a shirt with the logo of the banned pro-independence group Hong Kong National Front.

Protests calling for government reforms and democracy have become a familiar sight in Hong Kong over the past six weeks, as hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets.

The demonstrations were sparked by strong public opposition to a bill that would have allowed people in Hong Kong to be extradited to face trial in mainland China. Though the bill has since been suspended, protests have continued and on multiple occasions descended into violence.

Rallies are taking place across Hong Kong on Saturday and Sunday, with both pro-government and anti-extradition bill marches scheduled.

Li did not say if extra police would be arranged for protests this weekend as a result of the raid.

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https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/20/asia/hong-kong-explosives-haul-intl-hnk/index.html

2019-07-20 09:16:00Z
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Iran says it has captured a British-flagged oil tanker: Live updates - CNN

There is no place in the world more important for the global supply of oil than the Strait of Hormuz.

The channel, which is only 21 miles (33.7 kilometers) wide at its narrowest point, is the only way to move oil from the Persian Gulf to the world's oceans. And that's why the seizure of a British-flagged ship in the strait Friday is such a concern.

If the Strait were to be closed, it would be a massive blow to the world's economy. 

The Strait of Hormuz, which links the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, "is the world's most important choke point," said the US Energy Information Administration.

The Strait is even narrower than its 21-mile width suggests. The shipping channels that can handle massive supertankers are only two miles wide heading in and out of the Gulf, forcing ships to pass through Iranian and Omani territorial waters.

And the amount of oil that passes through the channel is staggering, with roughly 80% of the crude it handles destined for markets in Asia. The world's global economy could not function without that supply of oil lubricating it.

About 22.5 million barrels of oil a day passed through the Strait of Hormuz on average since the start of 2018, according to Vortexa, an energy analytics firm. That's roughly 24% of daily global oil production, and nearly 30% of oil moving over the world's oceans.

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2019-07-20 08:20:00Z
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Iran says it has captured a British-flagged oil tanker: Live updates - CNN

There is no place in the world more important for the global supply of oil than the Strait of Hormuz.

The channel, which is only 21 miles (33.7 kilometers) wide at its narrowest point, is the only way to move oil from the Persian Gulf to the world's oceans. And that's why the seizure of a British-flagged ship in the strait Friday is such a concern.

If the Strait were to be closed, it would be a massive blow to the world's economy. 

The Strait of Hormuz, which links the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, "is the world's most important choke point," said the US Energy Information Administration.

The Strait is even narrower than its 21-mile width suggests. The shipping channels that can handle massive supertankers are only two miles wide heading in and out of the Gulf, forcing ships to pass through Iranian and Omani territorial waters.

And the amount of oil that passes through the channel is staggering, with roughly 80% of the crude it handles destined for markets in Asia. The world's global economy could not function without that supply of oil lubricating it.

About 22.5 million barrels of oil a day passed through the Strait of Hormuz on average since the start of 2018, according to Vortexa, an energy analytics firm. That's roughly 24% of daily global oil production, and nearly 30% of oil moving over the world's oceans.

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https://www.cnn.com/middleeast/live-news/iran-british-tanker-july-2019/index.html

2019-07-20 07:37:00Z
52780335499826

Iran says it has captured a British-flagged oil tanker: Live updates - CNN

There is no place in the world more important for the global supply of oil than the Strait of Hormuz.

The channel, which is only 21 miles (33.7 kilometers) wide at its narrowest point, is the only way to move oil from the Persian Gulf to the world's oceans. And that's why the seizure of a British-flagged ship in the strait Friday is such a concern.

If the Strait were to be closed, it would be a massive blow to the world's economy. 

The Strait of Hormuz, which links the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, "is the world's most important choke point," said the US Energy Information Administration.

The Strait is even narrower than its 21-mile width suggests. The shipping channels that can handle massive supertankers are only two miles wide heading in and out of the Gulf, forcing ships to pass through Iranian and Omani territorial waters.

And the amount of oil that passes through the channel is staggering, with roughly 80% of the crude it handles destined for markets in Asia. The world's global economy could not function without that supply of oil lubricating it.

About 22.5 million barrels of oil a day passed through the Strait of Hormuz on average since the start of 2018, according to Vortexa, an energy analytics firm. That's roughly 24% of daily global oil production, and nearly 30% of oil moving over the world's oceans.

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2019-07-20 07:06:00Z
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