With the ongoing Vienna talks aiming to reach a nuclear deal and ease US sanctions on Iran, the US is quietly continuing to crack down based on the sanctions, as officials interpret them.
The US has been after oil on the M/T Stark I and the Panamanian-flagged Arina, claiming it illegally came from Iran. The Arina’s document says it came from Oman, but the US rejects this.
The US accuses the Stark I, a sanctioned ship, of having secretly transferred oil to the Arina to hide its origin. They also accuse the Stark I of having gotten its deck painted to try to fool the US into thinking it was a different ship.
The transfer dates back to 2020, and the US says the oil was transferred to a third ship, the M/T Nostos. The US ordered that ship to take the oil to Houston to be unloaded, and it appears the intention is for the US to seize it outright.
Oh, that ought to absolutely guarantee the the JCPOA deal is right on track to be closed any minute now…
Hi Richard
I’d love to see JCPOA relegated to the dustbin in order that Iran continue enriching uranium. We’re all going down anyways so I’d love to see Iran take out Tel Aviv before the rest of us are incinerated.
Naughty, naughty Gypsy!!!
Well yes, Donna, I am naughty 😉
Hmm, so we have sanction, but does that mean others must obey? This is rules based order, right? We rule, so we order? How is this different from plain high seas piracy?
Do they still wear eyepatches and have parrots on their shoulders?
I have started wearing the eye patch, as a “Patriotic American” but I find it terribly constricting… And I think it impairs my judgement…
I don’t have access to a parrot, so I am using one of my dogs (a Chiweenie) as the mascot…
They say “arrrrgh” a great deal too, Wars
Oil Thieves…!
Rules based order:
Strong will do what they can, weak
must suffer as they must.
Thucydides
This order is right now under attack over Ukrainian soil. As NATO and US misculculsted Russian response to Donbas provocations and Ukraine militarizations.
Now, we have over-reactions from Biden. Ruining economy snd risking global financial stability for poor judgment.
Biden is relying on two people of East European descent, righting the wrongs that go back to WWI. We have been lulled into complacence. We have NOT thought through the escallatioon ladder, and critically apprsised our capabilities, including our own continental defense.
We made BASIC rule of military confrontation
mistakes, Overestimating our capabilities and underestimating Russian intent — even when spelled out very clearly,
The resulting orgy of property seizures of foreign state assets, and private property of corporations and individuals whose nationality made them target — shows the real face of rules based order.
To approve of such theft by state edicts is to approve anarchy of revolutions where anyone with any property is a target. This is vile. Throwing families out of their homes , is barbaric. What was their guilt? Why not take it to courts to decide if laws were broken?
It is very easy too condemn rich. And there are good reasons to morally condemn their capitalist greed. But we need to condemn strongly such orgies of self-righteousness when Government decides to bypass the law.
We are spitting on our own legal system — as we lustily approve tearing it down. Tommorow, it will be used against any citizen that says anything that is against the official mantra.
Just like taking Iranian ships, yes, weak will suffef as they must.
In case we have not noticed, the worlld is watching this very first clash where those that were supposed to shut up — hit back. A first one. We are losing the publuc opinion battle; in the eyes of the vast majority of countries around the world. This is seen as mighty West clutching at its right to dominate the globe. We may like it or not – that is how this is perceived. It is worthwhile paying attention.
.
And instead of taking time to respond, we are hastily doubling. down. Biden can try to shift the blame for gas hikes and inflation to this war. But this is so far a disaster for Biden.
But should a Republucan take his place and think that all he has to do is snap a finger and Russia will be in our camp against China — more delusions will follow,
The world has changed profoundly, but our leadership will not even bother to consult people with some knowledge.
And to make it worse, we are striking at countries that are “betraying” us. Sanctions are coming!
UAE, India, Pakisttan and Turkey top the list of threatened. How will this look to their citizens?
As CNN is prattling on about the war — there is nobody looking at the larger picture and what it portends. I
Exactly, …like a sick animal fouling its own nest.
This is going to sound less than logical but I’ll give it a go anyway… We should hire a “psychic” to help sort out some of this business… “Rules based” anything does not bode well, for anybody…A good psychic should be able to discern our movements before we make them… The psychic can then advise us on our appropriate movements, putting us in “win-win” situation… We’ll put it to a vote! (just kidding…)
Such arrogance. The U.S. declares ‘this transaction is illegal’ and seizes property in international waters or the port of another country. Hmm … we do not even know that detail because the news article has to provide a pro-U.S. spin. In any case, it was not in U.S. territory.
China has never done anything like this but we accuse them of using economic coercion.
But, don’t you know, we’re the “exceptional” nation. That makes up for our treachery.
So very true johnnyo, so very true…. Unfortunately, the rest of the world has not recognized us as “exceptional”… If we aren’t careful, we are going to put our ‘foot’ in it, in fact I think we already have….