Gulf of Oman 'tanker blasts': US Navy aids distressed vessels

[nitpicker]

Source: BBC

3 minutes ago

The US Navy's 5th Fleet says it is rendering assistance after receiving separate distress calls from two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman. Regional media reported explosions and fires on both vessels, reportedly the Front Altair and Kokuka Courageous. Crew from both of the vessels have been safely evacuated, Reuters reports.

The incident comes a month after four tankers were attacked off the United Arab Emirates, which it blamed on an unnamed "state actor".

The US said Iran was behind the attacks, which involved naval mines, an accusation Tehran denied. The attacks increased long-standing tensions between Iran and the US and its allies in the Gulf.
(snip)

Josh Frey, of the 5th Fleet, said in a statement: "US naval forces in the region received two separate distress calls at 06:12 local time (08:12 GMT) and a second one at 07:00.
(snip)

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-48619771

[nitpicker]

1. From The Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/business/live/2019/jun/13/uk-house-prices-brexit-oil-price-tanker-fire-arcadia-green-business-live

(snip)
1h ago
08:11

Oil jumps after Gulf of Oman incident

Newsflash: The oil price has just surged on reports that a tanker in the Gulf of Oman is on fire.

Details of the incident are sketchy, beyond that it happened near the Iranian coast.

But markets are reacting fast. Brent crude has surged over 3% to $62 per barrel, having hit a five-month low below $60 last night.

[Dennis Donovan]

2. MarineTraffic data sheets for Front Altair and Kokuka Courageous:

https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/shipid:4275315/mmsi:538007007/imo

General
IMO: 9745902
Name: FRONT ALTAIR
MMSI: 538007007
Vessel Type: CRUDE OIL TANKER
Gross Tonnage: 62849
Summer DWT: 109894 t
Build: 2016
Flag: MARSHALL IS

https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/shipid:5502927/mmsi:371880000/imo
General
IMO: 9568495
Name: KOKUKA COURAGEOUS
MMSI: 371880000
Vessel Type: OIL/CHEMICAL TANKER
Gross Tonnage: 19349
Summer DWT: 27000 t
Build: 2010
Flag: PANAMA

Both are dead in the water...

[safeinOhio]

3. Iran strongly denies it and

why shouldn't we believe them. Oh thats right, it's not Putin.

[watoos]

4. Kill 2 birds with 1 stone

The price of gas was set to drop to $2 a gallon because of over supply, not now, and we can go to war with Iran.

Just like the false flag in Syria that blamed Assad for gassing his own people was all about oil and gas pipelines.

I try not to put any negativity into the universe, but Trump makes it awfully hard.

[safeinOhio]

5. Remember the Maine and the Gulf of Tonkin?

Deja vue all over again.

[karynnj]

9. I see you still believe RT and sputnik on the Assad gas attacks

The signature of the gas used matched the gas Assad had. Not to mention the rebels did not have airplanes -- and the gassing was by plane. There is a huge difference between being antiwar and believing propaganda.

It clearly was NOT the US. The last thing Obama wanted was for the "red line" to be crossed - as you can see by his reaction afterward. It was not in the interest of Russia to do it themselves. I assume you also believe that the Russians and Assad did not bomb the UN convoy in Aleppo. What is clear is the US was seen as NOT having a credible leverage of potential military action when teh Obama administration pushed all sides to follow a 2014 UN resolution to diplomatically end the violence.

At this point, we KNOW the disinformation that the Russians spread both through outlets like RT and Sputnik and through social media.

[Ramsey Barner]

6. The Persian Gulf of Tonkin Incident, No. 2

It was probably John Bolton out there in a dinghy with a cigarette lighter.

[flotsam]

7. So will Panama

and the Marshall Islands send their navies to war with Iran?

[Takket]

8. Tired: Saddam has WMDs. Wired: exploding tankers

[yaesu]

10. Operation Iran Oil Freedom coming to a war theater near you

The Saudis are behind this, I have no doubt.

[SunSeeker]

12. It's the only scenario that seems plausible. nt

[SunSeeker]

11. Why would Iran attack tankers carrying Japanese cargo while meeting with Shinzo Abe?

Sure seems like a set up to me. Very convenient distraction from Trump's admission yesterday that he'd accept foreign election intervention.

[Lulu KC]

13. This ain't good n/t

[Politicub]

14. Iran has a population of 81 million people.

Iraq, under Sadam Hussien, had a population of 23 million.

I'm not sure, but I think Iran, should the U.S. go to war with the country, will be the largest we have taken on since the Cold War. It may not be just the U.S. who gets involved, though, since we may appeal to NATO as being attacked.

Republicans start wars. Trump wants to be the biggest. So why not launch the biggest war with the most casualties? What a tweet that would make.

[Tactical Peek]

15. Where was Erik Prince when this happened?

I smell a big, fat, commie rat.