Miscellaneous News
- Thread starter bd popeye
- Start date
US privateers busy at work. China did well to invest in its surface navy.
Not the first time they steal oil either. They have done it to Venezuela more than once.
The United States has confiscated an Iranian oil cargo held on a Russian-operated ship near Greece and will send the cargo to the United States aboard another vessel, three sources familiar with the matter said.
Greek authorities last month impounded the Iranian-flagged Pegas, with 19 Russian crew members on board, near the coast of the southern island of Evia due to EU sanctions.
They said the ship was impounded as part of EU sanctions on Russia for the invasion of Ukraine. However the vessel was later released due to confusion about sanctions over its owners.
The tanker, renamed Lana on March 1 and flying the Iranian flag since May 1, has remained near Greek waters since then. It was previously Russian-flagged.
A source at Greece’s shipping ministry said on Thursday that the US Department of Justice had “informed Greece that the cargo on the vessel is Iranian oil”.
“The cargo has been transferred to another ship that was hired by the US,” the source added, without providing further details.
The development comes after the United States on Wednesday imposed sanctions on what it described as a Russian-backed oil smuggling and money laundering network for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force, even as Washington tries to revive a nuclear deal with Iran.
US and Russian officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The confiscation was confirmed by a separate Western source familiar with the matter, who added that the cargo was transferred onto the Liberia-flagged tanker Ice Energy, which is operated by Greek shipping company Dynacom.
A source at Dynacom confirmed that a “transfer of the oil was underway from the vessel to Dynacom’s Ice Energy, which will then sail to the United States”.
Iran’s IRNA state news agency reported on Wednesday that its foreign ministry summoned the charge d’affaires of Greece’s embassy in Tehran following the seizure of the cargo of a ship which was “under the banner of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Greek waters and he was informed of the strong objections” of Iran’s government.
Greek government officials could not confirm the information.
The Ice Energy on Thursday reported its position as anchored close to Evia, ship tracking data on Eikon showed.
Pegas was among five vessels designated by the U.S. on Feb. 22 – two days before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – as part of broader sanctions against Promsvyazbank, a bank Washington described as critical to Russia’s defence sector. The vessel’s Russian owner Transmorflot was subsequently designated on May 8.
U.S. advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), which monitors Iran-related tanker traffic, said the Pegas had loaded around 700,000 barrels of crude oil from Iran’s Sirri Island on Aug. 19, 2021.
Prior to this load, the Pegas transported over 3 million barrels of Iranian oil in 2021, with over 2.6 million of those barrels ending up in China, according to UANI analysis.
In 2020, Washington confiscated four cargoes of Iranian fuel that were bound for Venezuela and transferred them with the help of undisclosed foreign partners onto two other ships which then sailed to the United States.
Not the first time they steal oil either. They have done it to Venezuela more than once.
US seizes Russian ship with Iranian oil cargo
May 26, 2022The United States has confiscated an Iranian oil cargo held on a Russian-operated ship near Greece and will send the cargo to the United States aboard another vessel, three sources familiar with the matter said.
Greek authorities last month impounded the Iranian-flagged Pegas, with 19 Russian crew members on board, near the coast of the southern island of Evia due to EU sanctions.
They said the ship was impounded as part of EU sanctions on Russia for the invasion of Ukraine. However the vessel was later released due to confusion about sanctions over its owners.
The tanker, renamed Lana on March 1 and flying the Iranian flag since May 1, has remained near Greek waters since then. It was previously Russian-flagged.
A source at Greece’s shipping ministry said on Thursday that the US Department of Justice had “informed Greece that the cargo on the vessel is Iranian oil”.
“The cargo has been transferred to another ship that was hired by the US,” the source added, without providing further details.
The development comes after the United States on Wednesday imposed sanctions on what it described as a Russian-backed oil smuggling and money laundering network for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force, even as Washington tries to revive a nuclear deal with Iran.
US and Russian officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The confiscation was confirmed by a separate Western source familiar with the matter, who added that the cargo was transferred onto the Liberia-flagged tanker Ice Energy, which is operated by Greek shipping company Dynacom.
A source at Dynacom confirmed that a “transfer of the oil was underway from the vessel to Dynacom’s Ice Energy, which will then sail to the United States”.
Iran’s IRNA state news agency reported on Wednesday that its foreign ministry summoned the charge d’affaires of Greece’s embassy in Tehran following the seizure of the cargo of a ship which was “under the banner of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Greek waters and he was informed of the strong objections” of Iran’s government.
Greek government officials could not confirm the information.
The Ice Energy on Thursday reported its position as anchored close to Evia, ship tracking data on Eikon showed.
Pegas was among five vessels designated by the U.S. on Feb. 22 – two days before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – as part of broader sanctions against Promsvyazbank, a bank Washington described as critical to Russia’s defence sector. The vessel’s Russian owner Transmorflot was subsequently designated on May 8.
U.S. advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), which monitors Iran-related tanker traffic, said the Pegas had loaded around 700,000 barrels of crude oil from Iran’s Sirri Island on Aug. 19, 2021.
Prior to this load, the Pegas transported over 3 million barrels of Iranian oil in 2021, with over 2.6 million of those barrels ending up in China, according to UANI analysis.
In 2020, Washington confiscated four cargoes of Iranian fuel that were bound for Venezuela and transferred them with the help of undisclosed foreign partners onto two other ships which then sailed to the United States.
Last edited:
I'd like to talk about something. I am very pleased with the sharp change in the style of China's official Twitter accounts. Their new style is very different from the style they had until a few months ago. The changes as far as I can observe.
1- A lot more daily life and "cute" stuff. I think this is very important. China in Western media is a place with BBC yellow filter, no natural beauty, and no normal daily life. This content is good for offering a different alternative.
2- When it comes to Taiwan, the language became more direct and forceful. That dolled up diplomatic language mostly disappeared.
3- They adopted a policy of criticizing the USA wherever possible. It may sound childish at first but since the USA is constantly blaming China from its media-generated moral high ground, it is natural to point to inconsistencies in its narrative. The language here is not diplomatic either. It is a more Anglo-Saxon style language with a lot of sarcasm and directness.
1- A lot more daily life and "cute" stuff. I think this is very important. China in Western media is a place with BBC yellow filter, no natural beauty, and no normal daily life. This content is good for offering a different alternative.
2- When it comes to Taiwan, the language became more direct and forceful. That dolled up diplomatic language mostly disappeared.
3- They adopted a policy of criticizing the USA wherever possible. It may sound childish at first but since the USA is constantly blaming China from its media-generated moral high ground, it is natural to point to inconsistencies in its narrative. The language here is not diplomatic either. It is a more Anglo-Saxon style language with a lot of sarcasm and directness.
Uh, I don't know about those security guards, but the police are not obligated to protect the public
What makes you think their job was protecting the public in the first place?
Their only job is to protect the elites aka whatever the political police chief tells them to do.
It’s funny how the left wing / democrats keep bickering about banning guns yet and wanting to rewrite self defence laws but at the same time the police have no duty to protect you. Can’t protect yourself yet you can’t rely on the police to protect you either.
Hmm, if that is the case why did this moron send tons upon Tons of weapon reserves to Ukraine. If Russia decides to send a middle to this idiots house, he would’ve totally deserved that because not only did he send weapons to Ukraine which is already a declaration of all out war in normal terms but this idiot has the gall to say that Russia has no right to a veto and no rights to defend their sovereignty. The fact that Russia hasn’t killed his ass yet is simply a testament to Russia sheer will power not to rush into an engagement and also how Russia is starting to show just want kind of a position the EU is really in.