Iran seizes two Greek oil tankers in Persian Gulf amid row over US tanker grab
India Today
Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard on Friday seized two Greek oil tankers in the Persian Gulf, hours after Athens assisted the US in seizing an Iranian oil tanker in the Mediterranean Sea.
Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard seized two Greek oil tankers on Friday in the Persian Gulf, just after Athens assisted the US in seizing an Iranian oil tanker over alleged sanctions violations in the Mediterranean Sea.
The Guard's announcement comes as tensions remain high between Iran and the West over stalled negotiations regarding its rapidly advancing nuclear program.
The Guard issued a statement on its website, accusing the unnamed tankers of unspecified violations.
Greece's Foreign Ministry said Iranian authorities “violently took over” the two ships in an “act of piracy.”
Asked about the Iranian claim, Cmdr. Timothy Hawkins of the US Navy's Mideast-based 5th Fleet told the AP that “this is what we are tracking,” but declined to comment further.
Iran had threatened to take “punitive action” earlier Friday over Athens being involved in the US seizure of an Iranian oil tanker in Greek waters.
Iran's Nour News website, close to its security services, made the threat just as shipping news site Lloyd's List said it believed two Greek tankers had been seized in the Persian Gulf. Quoting anonymous industry sources, Lloyd's reported that the two ships had been boarded after Iranian military helicopters approached them on Friday afternoon. It said both tankers had just been loaded with Iraqi crude oil.
Amid the ongoing Middle East war, Turkish authorities destroyed a US-made unmanned vessel in a controlled blast after it washed ashore on the country's Black Sea coast.
Ashu Ghai recreated the striking scene from Dhurandhar 2, where Ranveer Singh is introduced as Jaskirat Singh Rangi amid a cascade of fiery sparks.
Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir said Shias who "love Iran so much" should "go to Iran". His remarks triggered a row with prominent Shia clerics of Pakistan accusing Munir of insulting the community and the military establishment of serving America and Israel as a "servant".
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the US may need to intensify strikes on Iran to end the conflict. This came soon after Trump threatened to hit Iran's energy plants amid soaring oil prices and Strait of Hormuz tensions.
The scooter rider rode into the pedestrian zone, collided with the car, and fell down. The man driving the car, however, did not react with anger and handled the situation with composure.
A minute-long ATC recording lays bare the confusion and urgency before a runway collision in New York. Controllers issued frantic warnings as a plane struck a vehicle, forcing a complete airport shutdown.
Tucker Carlson says he might cry listening to him. Millions call him a prophet. But who exactly is "Professor Jiang" — and what is he not telling you?
In a symbolic act of wartime messaging, Iran placed stickers carrying anti-war remarks by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on ballistic missiles bound for Israel as the Middle East conflict enters it fourth week.
The announcement was made a day after North Korea convened the first session of its Supreme People's Assembly. The assembly, the isolated nation's rubber-stamp legislature, formally approves state policy.
Indian Railway staff's swift action turned a medical emergency involving a toddler into relief aboard a train from Bengaluru to Gujarat.
Leon Panetta said Iran war was not an unexpected risk. He pointed out that for years, US security officials have known Iran could disrupt global oil supplies by blocking the Strait of Hormuz. According to him, this was a well-known danger, but one that appears to have been overlooked in the current conflict.
Sri Lanka raised fuel prices by about 25% for the second time in a week as the Gulf conflict disrupts global oil supplies via the Strait of Hormuz.