“Even though the Strait of Hormuz is in Iranian territorial waters, ‘innocent passage’ is applied — ships are authorized to pass through the body of water assuming they abide by all the rules of the sea — because it is an internationally recognized shipping lane.” By firing upon the ship, then, the Iranians are clearly signaling that they hold Barack Obama in contempt, and know that there is no limit to how far they can push him. They took the measure of John Kerry at Lausanne, won their spectacular nuclear concessions from the Obama regime, and now they’re going to rub his face in their aggressiveness, knowing that he will do nothing in response.
Act of war, followed by spinelessness: “Iran seizes commercial ship, U.S. forces respond,” by Jim Sciutto and Jamie Crawford, CNN, April 28, 2015:
(CNN)Iran Revolutionary Guard patrol boats fired shots at a commercial cargo ship and then intercepted the vessel, the M/V Maersk Tigris, which was crossing the Strait of Hormuz Tuesday morning, according to a senior U.S. military official.
Despite reports in some media, there are no Americans on board, the official said.
Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren said it was “inappropriate” for the Iranians to fire the warning shot. The U.S. Navy has dispatched one maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft to observe and monitor the situation, Warren told reporters.
The ship, a Marshall Islands-flagged vessel, was transiting the Strait into the Persian Gulf on an internationally recognized maritime route when the the Iranian military contacted the vessel and directed the ship master to “divert further into Iranian waters,” according to Warren.
“The master was contacted and directed to proceed further into Iranian territorial waters. He declined and one of the IRGCN craft fired shots across the bridge of the Maersk Tigris,” said Warren, referring to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy. “The master complied with the Iranian demand and proceeded into Iranian waters in the vicinity of Larak Island.”
After the shots were fired, the Tigris issued a distress call which was picked up by U.S. forces in the area and the USS Farragut was ordered to head towards the incident. The closest U.S. warship was 60 miles from the incident. The Pentagon thinks about 30 individuals are on board.
The U.S. Navy has also sent aircraft to monitor its status.
According to the shipping company, which is in contact with the U.S. military, the Iranian military has boarded the ship.
Even though the Strait of Hormuz is in Iranian territorial waters, “innocent passage” is applied — ships are authorized to pass through the body of water assuming they abide by all the rules of the sea — because it is an internationally recognized shipping lane.
Warren said it was “to be determined” what the USS Farragut will do when it reached the vicinity of the incident….
Probably apologize.
Alarmed Pig Farmer says
This takes us back to the Mujahidin pirates of the Barbary Coast. 215 years later, they are bigger and badder, brandishing modern weapons bought with oil money.
What book did Keith Ellison swear on during his admission to Congress? The implication was that Jefferson was a closet Moslem. Jefferson’s got to be rolling in his grave right now, with the great navy he helped create standing down where Perry’s sailors did not.
Proud Pork Fan says
Yes APF it is the exact same Jihad waged for 1400 yrs due to the belief in the same pedophile beheader from some desert region in Arabia. Brilliant in the year 2015.
R. K. MacUalraig says
Exactly. This sounds like a great opportunity for the Sailors of NSW to conduct a counter-terrorism operation.
mariam rove says
I just read that the Pentagon said it is not our ship. Is this not true? M
umbra says
Evidently, the boarded vessel (Maersk Tigris) is Marshall Islands flagged. The other vessel, US flagged Maersk Kensington, was neither board nor fired upon.
tom says
It was not a US ship.
Chabuco says
The U.S. has a treaty with the Marshall Islands. They’re supposed to defend them militarily in case of aggression….and this is one of those. Now, will they?
tom says
Im pretty sure the treaty doesn’t cover their international cargo ships in foreign waters.
noellsq says
The sniveling POTUS will do nothing. If he does it will be not enough and we will be in a long war.
somehistory says
The beast roars ever louder and is showing fangs.
Alarmed Pig Farmer says
Showing its fangs in a serious way. Moslems of the Shia sect fervently believe that a conflagration will precede the rising of the Twelfth Imam up from the well before they gain admission into Jannat, the Moslem porno heaven. To pull that off, the Persians need a major clash with some outside evil force, whether Sunni or the Infidel. The latter opponent seems more likely, but either way America will be somehow be dragged into the conflict.
This uncomfortable situation has is not explained to the Infidels on their TV sets or in their newspapers. Instead, our globo-socialist gubmint is cutting a deal with Iran on nuclear proliferation while leaving its ICBM efforts unfettered.
My guess is that the Supreme Leader is growing tired of all the threats and is looking to ascend upstairs to his throne and the pile of houris awaiting him in Jannat.
somehistory says
This coming conflagration will touch everyone everywhere before it’s over. The psychopaths in Iran do not really know for what they are asking by their actions. And most of the population of the earth is unaware of what is on the horizon.
Alarmed Pig Farmer says
Yes, the world is so interconnected by media, including the Internet, TV, air travel, world takeover ideologies, the global economy among other media, that when Persia makes its move there will be dire consequences, not the least of which will be a deep global recession, leading to widespread instability.
The psychopaths in Iran…
Don’t give them too much credit. They’re believers, and given what they believe that is very bad news for everybody.
somehistory says
I think of them as psychopaths because, 1, psychopaths can’t see the full ramifications of their choices, they don’t see any consequences beyond what they wish to see.2. they have no empathy. 3. they blame others when things go wrong.never taking responsibility. 5 they are all about *me*…what I want, when I want it, is their way of thinking .
Psychopaths have no feelings for others beyond what others can do for them. That is why it is so easy for these murderers to use women and children and kill them afterward. The baby with the weapons next to his head, the child holding the head of another person after being removed, most likely by the psychopathic *father* of the child. And their whole entire goal is as you stated in your earlier comment. It’s all for lust.
Spot On says
Iran could very easily screw up the entire world with their nukes and those psychopaths would love it. We could easily lose all of our global electronic systems immediately with their nuclear handiwork. This is something never discussed but millions extra are spent on Air Force One to make it electronically safe from this kind of attack. Iran could ruin our modern society and make planes drop out of the sky like a dead bird. This is why any sane savvy person would do anything to stop Iran from getting nukes (except our POTUS for some strange reason).
Caroline says
Obama will find out the meaning of the saying’Give them an inch and they will take a mile’. He is just another useful idiot.
Sam says
Obama will not find out anything. Please don’t give this man any credit that he will understand something. He is a brain washed, America hating idiot communist. He will find fault with American people or Congress for curtailing his deal with Iranians or something. His arrogance does not allow him to see things objectively. He is an idiot. PERIOD.
Angemon says
http://www.commdiginews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/obama-the-post-american-world.jpg
Sam says
I am not worried. Obama and Kerry will negotiate with Iran with my tax dollars and no doubt with the best interest of America in mind.
cs says
Sure, I am very confident about it, nothing to worry, he has been a great head of state, such a performance…
JamesonRocks says
A “Marshall Islands-flagged vessel…” Interesting that the pussy Iranians chose to go after a ship flagged in the Marshall Islands. They must be very proud of themselves.
Champ says
U.S. “monitoring” the situation
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Uh-huh, I’m so relieved; meanwhile Baltimore is a hot mess …yeah obama can’t even get Baltimore under control.
Jabberwok says
If Iran fired a Nuke Missile on to the White House front lawn and if this missile did not explode, Whakobama would offer them his condolences for their failed effort.
Fritz Kohlhaas says
That sociopath Obama will do nothing!
Bezelel says
Now would be a good time to: Attack all known iranian nuclear sites and sink everything iran has in the water. Reduce their navy to row boats. Do it now or wish we did later.
Daniel Triplett says
Let’s get a shovel to dig up Reagan and put him back in charge.
Alarmed Pig Farmer says
You’re a dreamer, Trip, but I like your sentiment.
And remember that Reagan was running the elites warned of widespread instability and even war, and that the economy would crater due to his radical ideas about limiting government to unleash freedom.
Turned out they were exactly wrong, but the key point here is that the failed predictions, and the failure of thought that went into it, has been ignored. This is why we have a lineup of RINOs set to take power after Prez Barack Hussein’s historic failures. My bet is on Jeb, the son of Prez H.W., who undid the gains made under Reagan.
Kepha says
Also, the Iranians released the hostages the minute Reagan was sworn in. They sensed they were dealing with someone who might have been dangerous to them.
Bezelel says
It seems prudent to put their “twelver” theory to the test.
Daniel Triplett says
Sure would be nice to see another 49 state landslide like the Reagan 49 state landslide like in ’84.
I think Cruz gets it. He’s closer to Reagan than any of the others IMHO.
Kepha says
It’ what we get for Carter apologizing for the USA keepingr Ayatollah Shariatmadari’s home province from Soviet annexation.
Arthur says
I’m suspicious there is a lot more to this story that we will never hear about. Why this particular ship?
Call me crazy, but I wouldn’t be the least surprised if there was a CIA electronic spy operation on board this ship as it slowly motored through Iranian water. To me, the really scary part is that the operation was discovered by the Iranians. Perhaps Obama’s placement of Muslim Brotherhood sympathizers in high places within the US security apparatus is now having the intended effect of compromising our national security institutions. I would bet that certain people have been taken off that ship, to endure terrible suffering and death, and that the truth will never be known by the public.
Or maybe I’m wrong, but I’m probably still crazy!
DICK R says
Maybe it’s time for the USS NIMTZ to appear on the scene !
Plutarchus7 says
WHY?
To make atonement to Allah, Islam and the people of Iran for backing down from confronting the US fleet at Yemen. Cowards!
Also to boost the price of oil.
The Obama Timeline author says
Yes, the action by Iran is a giant middle finger to Obama, but it is also a warning to the Saudis to stop targeting the Houthis in Yemen. If Iran were to block the strait, Saudi Arabia would lose billions per day in oil revenue.
Brian Hoff says
I read on line that Iran act undert than International Court order to arrest the ship, the owner of that ship own than private Iran Citizen afew million dollars when the money is paid the ship will be return to it owner. The US Navy knew about the International Court Order that why they did nothing to stop it. It seen you people are supporting than dead breat than person who have the money to paid his debt but refuse to paid.