Tensions flare near Strait of Hormuz as a ship is seized and another is sunk

Posted by Naurgul@reddit | anime_titties | View on Reddit | 39 comments

A ship anchored off the United Arab Emirates was seized and taken toward Iran and another — a cargo ship near Oman — sank after being attacked, authorities said Thursday, as tensions escalated near the Strait of Hormuz.

It wasn’t immediately clear who was behind these incidents, but they happened as a senior Iranian official reiterated his country’s claim of control over the waterway and another said it had a right to seize oil tankers connected to the U.S.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said it received reports that the ship seized Thursday was taken by unauthorized personnel while anchored 38 nautical miles (70 kilometers, 44 miles) northeast of the UAE port of Fujairah, an important oil export terminal that has been repeatedly attacked during the war with Iran.

The U.K. maritime center did not name the ship seized Thursday and said it is investigating. The British military said the vessel is heading toward Iranian waters.

Indian authorities said Thursday that an Indian-flagged cargo ship sank off the coast of Oman after an attack sparked a fire aboard the vessel while it was en route from Somalia to Sharjah, another UAE port. They did not say who attacked the ship.

The attack on the Indian-flagged cargo ship Haji Ali occurred Wednesday, according to Mukesh Mangal, a senior official in India’s shipping ministry. He said all 14 Indian crew members were rescued by Oman’s coast guard and were safe.

2 years ago some random guy was alleged to have tried to set up an assassination of someone political (maybe including Trump but I haven't seen that specifically claimed outside of statements from people like Pam Bondi who are exceptionally unreliable) and alleged to be connected to Iran (not proven) and you think that's the proximal justification for the current war?

And I'm disconnected from reality? Got another good laugh out of this one, keep them coming.

We know what the actual reason for this war is, by the way, US government officials have openly said it: Israel was going to strike Iran and the US decided to join in on the strike because it thought Iran would retaliate against US assets either way.

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poincares_cook@reddit

I've given you a conviction of IRGC attempting to assassinate Trump. This is not an allegation. This is a conviction.

Do you understand words? Do you know what is a conviction? Are you ok?

And I get this drivel as a result. There is a complete disconnect between you and reality, between you and facts, between you and sanity. You are a propaganda bot readily ignoring all facts that do not follow the narrative you want to push.

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beefprime@reddit

Convictions happen on false grounds all the time, and this is barely even an attempt at assassination, much less one that is connected to Iran, its like saying someone threatening violence on twitter is an assassin, the plot such as it was was foiled before anything even began to happened.

Saying this case is a reason to start a war where thousands of people will die and the global economy will suffer massive, irreparable damage is legitimately insane. Not to mention, again, the US government has been clear what the reasons for this war are already, see my other comment.

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poincares_cook@reddit

Conspiracy theories with no evidence are certainly not a sign of insanity. Wink. A IRGC operative is "not connected to Iran". Hilarious.

IRGC operative has been convicted for attempt to assassinate Trump.

There is no way to lie your way out of this

There is no way to deny it.

This is a simple fact, but as we have established, facts are completely immaterial to you.

Completely insane conspiracy theories by Iranain bootlickers aside, Iran attempted to assassinate Trump before the war.

Iranian attacks against US ships, Iranian assassination attempts against the US presidents (Biden was also a possible target) are casua beli.

The damage to the world economy is done by Iranian state terrorism. It is not a natural consequence of the war, but an Iranian choice that shows everyone exactly who they are, lashing out against completely uninvolved civilians in completely uninvolved countries, bombing everything within reach. Including insane strikes against Turkey and Azerbaijan.

The Iranian terrorism against the world explicitly shows why they cannot be allowed to have nukes.

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beefprime@reddit

I just went into a cafe across the street and asked someone to assassinate Khamenei, if I was then arrested by Iran at some point and claimed I did this at the behest of the CIA during questioning (likely with some prompting) do you think that makes it true?

Do you think when Iran sends agents to the US they don't have handlers here to direct them? If they wanted to assassinate someone you think they turn to random mafia connected individuals without verifying who those people are and start disclosing their connections and plans (this is literally what happened in the case, he was trying to contact someone in the mafia to arrange a hit)? Its just laughable. And to then say that this case is justifying a war with global effects, again, completely insane.

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poincares_cook@reddit

IRGC operative has been convicted for attempt to assassinate Trump.

Your lies, obfuscation, or excuses don't work in the face of facts.

This is not "some random dude". The assassination attempts was directed by the IRGC and it's attempted execution was done by an IRGC operative.

Now we're at the point where you're normalizing the IRGC assassinating US presidents, cute.

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beefprime@reddit

Here's the real reason for the US attack that started the war, right from the horse's mouth: https://youtu.be/HWJBf66Jjz8?t=50

Has nothing to do with this "assassination attempt" from 2 years ago, keep believing your insane bullshit though.

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poincares_cook@reddit

Except we have the real reason the US started the war right of the actual horses mouth, Trump, saying he got them before they got him.

https://youtu.be/wL2gH42nNOw?si=aQkNBd-IeIi1Umjq

The rest of your comment is one lie after the other.

the source document specify he was an IRGC agent, sent and trained by the IRGC
the IRGC agent claimed his motivation was avenging the killing of Soleimani, not due to Pakistan.
he received money and training from that IRGC.
the "only" connection to Iran is that he was working for the IRGC, trained by the IRGC, funded by the IRGC, had targets passed down from the IRGC to avange the killing of an IRGC commander.

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beefprime@reddit

the source document

Are you looking at a different document?

Occamsfacecloth@reddit

"taken by unauthorized personnel"

I'm quite sure they were authorized. The US is not the authority here.

How many characters is this, can I post now 🙄

Supporting terrorism in national waters of another country against a docked civilian ship.

This is the state of reddit.

The US has seized multiple tankers recently, and Iran has been clear all along in these US wars of aggression that it will respond in kind to any escalation the US makes. If you don't want a war, don't start a war, if you don't want tankers being boarded and stolen, don't board and steal tankers.

Next up, once the US and Israel start striking Iranian civilian infrastructure like power and desalinization plants, people will cry foul when Iran strikes UAE/Saudi desal/power/etc

Except again, in reality the order is reversed. Iran has struck civilian infrastructure since day 1 across uninvolved gulf countries.

Iran has already struck desalination plants, power plants, refinaries as well as civilian malls, hotels, highrises, civilian ports, civilian airports in gulf states that forbade the use of their territory and airspace in the war with Iran weeks before the US and Israel retaliated in kind.

As usual, just like with the Iranian blockade of Hormuz, you guys start whining the moment Iran is retaliated in kind.

The answer is indeed clear, it is Iran that must stop their imperialistic wars in Yemen, in Lebanon, their support for Hamas, their support for non state actors in Iraq dragging the country back to war.

In a sane reality Iran does not attempt to assassinate Trump, does not stage mass bombing in Paris, hides tons of explosives in London, does not carry out assassinations in Denmark, does not fire hundreds of ballistic missiles against another contry, does not take over parts of Lebanon, does not use it's proxy to blockade Bab el Mandab, and to fire at civilian ships in international waters.

Iran has been waging an imperialistic war of aggression across the ME for the last decade, it does not get to play coy.

Did you reply to my comment twice?

Well, whatever, I'm just going to pick out a quote from you here for anyone reading, because I don't think I'm going to convince you, an insane person, of anything:

In a sane reality Iran does not attempt to assassinate Trump"

This is the level of disconnect from reality that people have to have to have views like poincares_cook. This person actually believes that Iran attempted to assassinate Donald Trump.

A Pakistani man with ties to Iran has been found guilty of plotting to assassinate US politicians and officials.

Asif Merchant, 47, hired a hitman in New York to kill prominent American officials and targeted US President Donald Trump in 2024.

According the US Department of Justice, Merchant was a trained operative of the Iranian government's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and was in the US to look for potential IRGC recruits.

Merchant arrived in the US from Pakistan in April 2024 after having spent time in Iran. In June of that year, he contacted a person who he believed could help with the assassination plot and that contact later reported him to the police.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8egjnp4j7jo

There is a disconnect from reality, and insanity involved. It is just that it is you who are disconnected.

The war has stated with the Iranian assassination attempts against Trump, proxy strikes against US ships in international waters and their 7 front war against Israel including 200 ballistic missile strikes.

The blockade against Iran is 100% legal according to the laws of war.

Meanwhile IfnIan terrorism against unrelated third part civilian ships in international waters and national waters of third countries is straight up terrorism.

Terrorism against uninvolved civilian countries is not a reply in kind, it's a psychotic bully brutalizing a random kid becuse someone finally put him in his place.

If you don't want war, don't use your Hezbollah and Houthi proxies to fire tens of thousands of missiles, blockade the red sea, board tankers and attempt to assassinate Trump.

if you don't want tankers being boarded and stolen, don't board and steal tankers.

That's a funny statement since the US blockade is only a late response to the Iranian blockade. But I guess facts really do not matter to you.

The war has stated with the Iranian assassination attempts against Trump

Are you ok?

proxy strikes against US ships in international waters and their 7 front war against Israel including 200 ballistic missile strikes.

So Iran started the war by responding to US and Israeli strikes against Iran? This is some next level psychosis.

OK, so I don't see the issue then, blockades are legal in wars and, as we know from US actions, seizing these ships is legal if they are attempting to fuck around in the exclusion zones.

Enforcing a blockade isn't terrorism, you've already said blockades are 100% legal.

Terrorism against uninvolved civilian countries is not a reply in kind

Seeing as the US started this war by slaughtering over 100 girls in a school, I'm not sure this outrage carries much water.

That's a funny statement since the US blockade is only a late response to the Iranian blockade.

And the Iranian blockade was in direct response to US and Israeli strikes on Iran. So I guess I don't get it, is Iran enforcing a blockade 100% legal under the laws of war or is it only legal when the US does it?

I just want to say that it is absolutely hilarious that you started your comment with claims about Iran trying to assassinate Trump and closed it with the line "But I guess facts really do not matter to you.", absolute banger of a comment, got a great laugh out of it.

Yes, trump survived the Iranian assassination attempts Are you ok?

So Iran started the war by responding to US and Israeli strikes against Iran?

Oh you poor summer child. I'm talking about Iranian by proxy strikes against US ships before the war. Going as far back as 2016, more recently Iranian unprovoked aggression against US civilian and navy ships in international waters starting in 2023

blockades are legal in wars and, as we know from US actions, seizing these ships is legal if they are attempting to fuck around in the exclusion zones.

Blockades against a party of the war are legal, attacking random civilian ships of countries not party to the war isn't. Deciding that the national waters of Oman and UAE now belong to Iran is certainly illegal unless you're an imperialistic Iranian or their fanboy. An Iranian blockade of the US would be legal. That is not the case Mr. terrorism against random civilian ships supporter.

Enforcing a blockade isn't terrorism

What blockade was Iran enforcing when it hit a docked vessel that hasn't moved for months off the coast of the UAE? US blockde against Iran is legal, Iranian blockade against the US is legal. Striking random civilian ships belonging to neither and supplying neither is illegal and terrorism, executed by Iran and supported by you.

And the Iranian blockade was in direct response to US and Israeli strikes on Iran.

Which was in direct response to mass Iranian missiles strikes against Israel as well as a 7 front proxy war waged by Iran, assassination attempts against Trump and strikes against US civilian and navy ships.

But the key is, Iran is not blockading the US, which is legal. They are blockading and terrorizing completely uninvolved civilian ships and countries.

I just want to say that it is absolutely hilarious that you started your comment with claims about Iran trying to assassinate Trump

I guess you've just proven that facts are indeed immaterial to you.

A Pakistani man with ties to Iran has been found guilty of plotting to assassinate US politicians and officials

According the US Department of Justice, Merchant was a trained operative of the Iranian government's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)

Successful-Bobcat701@reddit

In this case, not authorized by the captain of the ship or its owners.

Had they been authorized to be there?

adminofreditt@reddit

They don't have to, it's international waters

It was actually UAE national waters, but reddit seems to fully back terrorism now.

We're lucky ISIS did not rise under Trump, it reddit would have been fully in support of "disciplinary actions" when they were making Yazids girls sex slaves.

1slinkydink1@reddit

You’ve unironically accused someone of TDS, haven’t you?

thirstymario@reddit

Neither is Iran

Of course they are

Throwaway5432154322@reddit

How?

ThisIsMyFloor@reddit

It's their waters.

Czart@reddit

Really? They control the UAE waters now?

CluelessExxpat@reddit

Seeing as how Trump's visit to China was an outstanding failure, I am expecting the illegal war of US and Israel against Iran to resume in 2 weeks' time.

US have been accumulating more personnel and military equipment, way more than before the war started, to Middle East so they are confident and ready for round two.

Just like round one though... they have no idea what victory and end-game looks like. Stay frosty fellas, things are going to heat up soon.

Firecracker048@reddit

Seeing as how Trump's visit to China was an outstanding failure,

It was?

https://www.npr.org/2026/05/15/nx-s1-5822512/trump-china-xi-summit-takeaways

Sounds like it wasn't really that bad, from BOTH parties involved.

TraditionalGap1@reddit

Trump announced China had agreed to order 200 jets – before equivocating.

"I sort of, I think it was a commitment. I mean, you know, it was sort of like a statement, but I think it was a commitment," Trump added. "It's a great thing. It's a lot of jobs."

Sounds like a real winner

contentp0licy@reddit

nervous chuckle We are so fucked

c0pp3rhead@reddit

Best part imo:

the two leaders toured the gardens at Zhongnanhai, with Trump admiring the roses.

"These are the most beautiful roses anyone's ever seen," Trump said.

Xi said he would share some Chinese rose seeds for Trump to have planted in the White House Rose Garden.

The Rose Garden that got tore up, you mean? 🤣🤣🤣

See also: