The seizure of British-owned oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz is the signal that Iran’s patience has run out, due to European inaction for over a year after the US pullout from the nuclear deal.
Prior, Iran exercised extreme restraint despite US sanctions and its frustration with Europe’s failure to offset the losses they caused.
Eventually, Iran’s patience ran out, but not before the US regime “made sure that Iran has very few options remaining.”
For a year Tehran was not doing anything and was abiding by the nuclear deal to the letter in the hopes that the Europeans would come up with a form of a mechanism that would allow Iran to circumvent the US sanctions.
By refusing to hold back any longer, Iran wants to send a clear signal to the UK, “but especially to the Americans,” that Tehran has “the means and the power to respond to pressure and to the extremely hostile aggression.
Iran’s actions are also a response to the US military build-up at its Middle East doorstep. The US might flex its military muscles in the Persian Gulf, but it’s likely not looking forward to entangling itself in a major war with Iran.
Instead, the USA would be looking at a long campaign that could see Iran attacking its military bases and interests in the region, the type of bog-down that can cost Trump his re-election.
Iran seized two British-operated vessels in the State of Hormuz on Friday, one of which has since been released after reportedly receiving warnings over safety and environmental issues.
The other vessel, the Stena Impero, is still in Iranian custody after being accused of maritime violations.
Iran claimed that the tanker turned off its tracking device and ignored warnings before the seizure. The UK has denounced the incident as “unacceptable” but said that it hopes to resolve it through diplomacy.
It’s “a sure bet” that the ships were seized in retaliation to the UK’s behavior, Kevin Afrasiabi, a former adviser to Iran’s nuclear negotiating team.
Afrasiabi said he believes the British government could have easily avoided inflaming the standoff with Iran if it released the Iranian oil tanker it seized two weeks ago
Instead of putting an end to the crisis, the UK“decided to continue to appease Washington war-mongers by aiding an illegal oil embargo imposed on Iran unilaterally by the USA” and militarizing the Persian Gulf.
The UK already has one warship permanently stationed in the waterway, and another one is currently sailing towards the Gulf to relieve it.
RT. com / ABC Flash Point WW III News 2019.
