US Navy 'Actively Monitoring' Its Own Provocation in Persian Gulf
Newsweek reports the US Navy is 'actively monitoring' a tanker seizure by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard ( Newsweek ). This familiar narrative ignores the fact that the US Navy operates thousands of miles from its own borders, conducting sanctions enforcement operations against a sovereign nation. The detained tanker, for instance, was reportedly carrying US-sanctioned Iraqi crude oil bound for
Turkey, a move consistent with Iran's stated position against illegal oil trafficking under these sanctions. Perhaps the US Navy is 'monitoring' its own role in escalating tensions, having seized an Iranian oil tanker off Greece in 2022, prompting reciprocal actions. One might wonder if the US would welcome Iranian warships 'monitoring' shipping lanes off the coast of Florida, or if 'active
monitoring' only applies to foreign naval presence when it threatens American hegemony in distant waters.