Paphos Life

Dominic,

The Royal Navy has got enough ships to escort the number of ships through the Strait of Hormuz that have a British Flag of Convenience (FOC) because only five transit each day (FT facts).

They could travel in a convoy or individually arrange their departure with the Royal Navy.

Under international law a FOC country has a legal duty to protect the ship and its crew even though the ship does not have to be owned by a company or person from the FOC country and the same with its crew.

Presumably the Cypriot navy will protect all the Cyprus flagged ships, likewise Liberia and Panama but more difficult with those ships flagged by Mongolia.

According to another report the ship has a multi national crew.. " There are 23 seafarers onboard of Indian, Russian, Latvian and Filipino nationality," said Erik Hanell, president and chief executive of Stena Bulk "

Iran has stated it doesn’t want any escalation. If Britain releases the Iranian tanker, they will and its over. Also, Hunt has approached the EU about a joint approach to this problem. Irony or what....

Jimgward wrote: ↑Tue Jul 23, 2019 11:20 am Iran has stated it doesn’t want any escalation. If Britain releases the Iranian tanker, they will and its over. Also, Hunt has approached the EU about a joint approach to this problem. Irony or what....

Wasn't the issue that the cargo was sanction busting goods, why not just unload the oil in Gibraltar and send the ship on its way.

The excuse was that it was heading to Syria - so EY sanctions-busting..... Rule Britania being the one to impound it... What makes us the police of all seas? When we cannot defend the UK waters?

The US obviously told the UK to impound the tanker and like good little puppets, we agreed and now face the problems it has caused. Bit like the chemical attack in Syria, that Boris pleaded with the EU to take sanction on - and has now been proven to have been faked.