(original title: claim? Iran confirmed intercepting a foreign oil tanker last Sunday)
Tensions in the Persian Gulf continue to ferment. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard said today (18th) that it seized a foreign oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz last Sunday (April). As soon as the news came out, the international oil price soared.
Iranian officials did not disclose specific information about the tanker. On the 15th, a UAE cargo ship was suspected to have lost contact in the waters. At that time, the Iranian Foreign Ministry responded with "foreign oil tankers broke down and needed maintenance", and also did not disclose the specific information of the ship.
The Associated Press reported on the 18th that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard said today that a foreign oil tanker was intercepted in the Strait of Hormuz near larak Island (Iran) last Sunday, and 12 foreign crew members on board were accused of smuggling about 1 million liters of oil from Iran. In addition, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard did not disclose more information.
Three days ago, the U.S. military claimed that a small UAE Oil Tanker 'LIA' had lost contact in the waters near Iran in the Strait of Hormuz, and the U.S. military suspected that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard had seized the ship. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas? Mousavi responded on the same day that an international oil tanker encountered technical failure in the Persian Gulf and was in trouble. After receiving the request for assistance, the Iranian navy approached the ship and towed it to Iranian waters using tugs for necessary repairs. But he also did not disclose the specific information of the ship.
Within two weeks, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, known as the 'world oil lifeline', heated up rapidly.
First, on July 4, the authorities of Gibraltar, the British overseas territory, with the assistance of the British navy, seized the 'grace 1' tanker transporting Iranian crude oil. Iran urgently summoned the British ambassador.
On the 10th, according to Japan's NHK, Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of staff of the U.S. military, revealed that in order to ensure the safety of traffic routes in the Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East, the United States will coordinate relevant countries to form a coalition force.
On the 11th, the British side also said that three Iranian ships tried to prevent a British oil tanker from crossing the Strait of Hormuz. However, after the British Navy sent warships to confront Iran, the other side retreated. Iran denies that its ships have done so.
Before the 'tanker storm' (July 1), Iran revealed that it had exceeded the upper limit of enriched uranium stock stipulated in the 'Iran nuclear agreement' in July 2015.
The Iranian nuclear agreement seems to be hanging on the line. Can European countries mediate contradictions and save the agreement? Yin Gang, a researcher at the Institute of West Asia and Africa of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, believes that there is little hope. " Britain, France and Germany disagree with the United States on how to deal with the Iranian crisis. They hope to end the sanctions as soon as possible in order to maintain trade relations with Iran. In essence, this appeal is tearing down the United States' Taiwan, and the United States will not buy it. "
Iran recently released a signal that it is willing to restart negotiations with the United States on conditions. " If Iran wants to break through the current blockade, maintaining contact with Europe is necessary, but it does not play a key role. " Yin Gang said that to seek a breakthrough, the key depends on the game between the United States and Iran.