Pentagon chief says he currently has no plan to seize Iranian tanker Adrian Darya 1

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

WORLD NEWS SEPTEMBER 5, 2019 / 7:07 PM / UPDATED 25 MINUTES AGO

Pentagon chief says he currently has no plan to seize Iranian tanker Adrian Darya 1

Idrees Ali
3 MIN READ

LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on Thursday he currently had no plan on his desk to seize the Iranian oil tanker Adrian Darya 1, which is at the center of a dispute between Tehran and Western powers.

The tanker, which is loaded with Iranian crude oil, appears to have turned off its transponder in the Mediterranean west of Syria.

The vessel, formerly named Grace 1, was detained by British Royal Marine commandos off Gibraltar on July 4 as it was suspected to be en route to Syria in violation of European Union sanctions.

Gibraltar released the Iranian vessel on Aug. 15 after receiving formal written assurances from Tehran that the ship would not discharge its 2.1 million barrels of oil in Syria.

“We do not talk about plans, but currently I have no plan right now sitting on my desk to do such a thing,” Esper told reporters in London when asked if there was any plan to seize the ship.

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Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-iran-military/pentagon-chief-says-he-currently-has-no-plan-to-seize-iranian-tanker-adrian-darya-1-idUSKCN1VQ2WF

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. That's nice.

Maybe we won't start a war with Iran this week.