- Iran seized a South Korean tanker on Monday and arrested its crew in the Persian Gulf when the U.S. military overturned and ordered the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz to remain in the region.
- The reversal of the Nimitz orders over the past five days has upset several NATO officials who have repeatedly expressed their concern about what they believe is changing national security after the election.
- “I suspect they will say that there was new information or a new threat and that the Nimitz were needed to stay in the area, but that there is widespread suspicion that Trump dominates the redeployment because of his own political or emotional concerns. , “a NATO official told Insider. .
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Iran seized a South Korean tanker on Monday and arrested its crew in the Persian Gulf as the U.S. military continued a military build-up around its border. The maneuvers came days after the first anniversary of the US assassination of a top Iranian general.
The seizure – which Iran described as related to environmental pollution in a statement by the Associated Press – comes just one day after the Pentagon suddenly reversed a decision just three days earlier to remove the nuclear-powered aircraft deck USS Nimitz from the region.
Little more is known about the seizure of the Korean ship Monday morning.
Ordinary shipping around the Gulf of Oman.
MarineTraffic.com
The US and Iran have used their military and rhetorical power in recent weeks around the one-year anniversary of the US drone assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani on January 3, 2020. Iran has threatened revenge for the targeted assassination of the country’s most powerful military official.
Last month, the U.S. Navy announced that for the first time in almost a decade, it would move a submarine with a cruise missile to the Persian Gulf. Long-range U.S. air force bombers have repeatedly patrolled the region 30+ hours from their bases in the United States. At the same time, increasing rockets on US diplomatic and military connections in Iraq – allegedly carried out by Iranian proxy groups – have forced the evacuation of non-essential personnel from various facilities. This has led in the last days of the Trump administration to another round of threats and counter-threats by US and Iranian officials.
National security advisers persuaded Trump not to carry out a pre-emptive strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities last November, despite strong encouragement from Israel. The Israeli government fears that the incoming government of Biden will take a softer line on the Iranian nuclear program. Iran has reacted angrily to the provocations, which includes last year’s assassination of a leading Iranian nuclear scientist, according to reports by Israeli agents.
The reversal of the Nimitz movements over the past five days has upset several NATO officials who have repeatedly expressed their concern about what they believe is a volatile US national security move after the election.
“I feel that my briefings take place 24-48 hours late,” said a NATO official in Brussels, who asked not to be named and criticized a close ally.
“What we believe is that after weeks of additional material and warships being pushed into the Gulf region to put Iran under pressure, it was decided to send the Nimitz home after a mission off the coast of Somalia in an attempt to reduce tension, “the official said. “NATO supports this de-escalation because tensions were dangerously high and there is more than enough military firepower in the region to deter Iran.”
When the NATO official was asked why such an immediate turnaround would take place, it was too early to tell.
“I think I need an information session,” the official said. “I suspect they will say that there was new information or a new threat and that the Nimitz was needed to stay in the area, but there will be widespread suspicion that Trump is dominating the redeployment because of his own political or emotional concerns. . “
The New York Times reported that Trump vetoed the Nimitz over concerns that it had made him look weak.
The gap among commercial ships possibly shows that civilian vessels give a wide location to the USS Nimitz and its entourage.
https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/centerx:-117.3/centery:32.6/zoom:10
A former US national security official, who is expected to join the Biden government and is therefore asked not to be identified, said the previous floods by long-range bombers in the region – which the official described as particularly useful for defense operations – may have ignited enough regional allies that the Pentagon came to the conclusion that the Nimitz should go, only to be dominated by Trump three days later.
The B-52s [sent from US bases] is useful on the first day of a major war because they can target command and control centers and air defense resistance from a distance with cruise missiles, “the former official said. This is an offensive threat and as long as they were across the Gulf, Iran would have been convinced of a looming attack. But they go home after a few hours, the Nimitz can stay and support a much wider range of operations. So it’s an operational mistake to try to send it home at all, but maybe it was forced by the screams about the B-52s. Now there is double confusion everywhere. ‘
The USS Nimitz – one of the most powerful warships in the world with dozens of attack and support aircraft – operated according to the US Navy from the Horn of Africa in support of US troops deployed in Somalia on 28 December. It is believed to be returning to a patrol position in the northern Gulf of Oman.
On his turn, Iran announced minutes later, the South Korean tanker maintained that it found South Korea’s sanctions unreasonable and planned to discuss the sanctions and the detained ship with the South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister, who is due to be in Iran for talks this week.