Ship Captured Near UAE Oil Port Fujairah Now Sailing Into Iranian Waters – RedState

It appears that the conflict between the United States and Iran is still ongoing; the mullahs and their henchmen have not yet packed their bags and left for Moscow, nor have the high-ranking goblins of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Result: the situation in the Strait of Hormuz has not become less tense in recent days. Lately, reports from several sources, including the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), indicate that an unknown vessel has been seized and is heading towards Iranian waters. It’s not yet clear who seized the ship, but we can probably get a pretty good idea.

A ship off the coast of the United Arab Emirates near the Strait of Hormuz has been captured by unknown persons and is now heading towards Iranian waters, a British shipping agency said on Thursday.

The vessel was “captured by unauthorized personnel while at anchor” 38 nautical miles, or 70 kilometers, northeast of Fujairah, and “is now bound for Iranian territorial waters,” according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations Center (UKMTO).

The UKMTO did not identify the vessel or who was behind its capture and said it was investigating. He also advised vessels in the area to report any suspicious activity.

A Fox News report has one more piece of information that, if true, could make this a lot more interesting: the captured ship, according to their report, which cites the BBC, could be a “floating arsenal.”

British authorities have not released information about who owned the ship or who seized it. Despite the lack of official corroboration, the BBC reported that the Honduran-flagged Hui Chuan was seized in the strait on Thursday.

Citing risk management company Vanguard, the BBC reported that the ship’s operators told Vanguard that the Hui Chuan functioned as a “floating armory” allowing ships in the strait to defend themselves against pirates.

The BBC report appears to confirm the identity of the seized ship, but not what was on board or who seized it, although the ship’s operators confirmed the “floating armory” part of the story.

BBC Verify has verified ship tracking data from MarineTraffic which shows the vessel – identified by Vanguard as the Honduras-flagged Hui Chuan – last broadcast its position 70 km (40 miles) northeast of Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, on Wednesday.

Hui Chuan’s operators told Vanguard it functioned as a floating armory that stored weapons for security companies that protect ships at sea from pirate attacks.

BBC Verify cannot confirm what was on board the ship or who it was used by.

As of this writing, things are still confusing. It is unclear whether or not the ship described by the UKMTO is the Hui Chuan, and it is not confirmed whether the ship currently heading to Iranian waters is carrying weapons. If reports that the captured ship was carrying weapons were intended to enable ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz to combat pirates, then we can surmise that these weapons could range from heavy machine guns to anti-ship rockets; These are unlikely to be advanced smart weapons, but even a machine gun can cause great damage to an unarmored merchant ship or aircraft.

Learn more: New: Chinese tanker attacked and set on fire near Hormuz amid Iran conflict

Iran Seizes Tanker, Faces New Problem: Hilariously, Who Owns This Cargo

Again, as of this writing, the Trump administration has yet to comment on this issue. President Trump is currently in China for a series of negotiations with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

In April, Iran boarded and captured two ships in the Strait of Hormuz, the MSC Francesca and the Epaminondas, both flying the Panamanian flag.

This is (as so often seems to be the case when it comes to Iran) an evolving story. We will bring you updates as events warrant.

Editor’s note: For decades, past presidents have done nothing but talk. Now, Donald Trump eliminates the Iranian threat once and for all.

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