DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran s Revolutionary Guards thwarted an attempt by the United States to detain a tanker carrying the Islamic Republic s oil in the Sea of Oman, Iranian state TV reported on Wednesday, saying the incident took place recently. Reached for comment, the U.S. Navy s Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet said it had seen reports of the incident but at present had no information to provide. Iran s state TV said U.S. forces used helicopters and warships to try to block a tanker carrying Iranian oil in the Sea of Oman. Iran s English-Language Press TV said the tanker was back in Iran s territorial waters. Iran has repeatedly warned the United States about its military activities in the Gulf, saying that the Guards naval forces have increased patrols to also secure the passage of Iranian ships and combat fuel smuggling. Giving details of the reported incident, Press TV said the elite Guards had reacted promptly when the Iranian oil tanker was detained in the Sea of Oman. Members of the Gua
WASHINGTON/DUBAI (Reuters) -The Pentagon on Wednesday rejected claims by Iran s Revolutionary Guards that they thwarted an attempt by the United States to detain a tanker carrying the Islamic Republic s oil in the Sea of Oman. I ve seen the Iranian claims, they are absolutely totally false and untrue . it s a bogus claim, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters. The only seizing that was done was by Iran, Kirby said. American officials said that in reality Iranian forces had seized a Vietnamese-flagged oil tanker last month, and U.S. naval forces were just monitoring the situation. With the timely and authoritative action of the Guards naval forces, the U.S. terrorist Navy s operation to steal Iranian oil in the Sea of Oman failed, Iran s elite Guards said in a statement published by Iranian state media earlier on Wednesday. The tanker carrying Iran s oil docked at the port of Bandar Abbas on October 25. While Iranian media identified the seized tanker as SOTHYS the name tanker
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Wednesday said U.S. Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley will be heading the U.S. delegation in Iran nuclear talks which will resume on November 29 and said Washington hoped that Tehran returns to talks ready to negotiate and in good faith. Speaking at a news briefing, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said Washington still believed that it remains possible to quickly reach and implement an understanding on a mutual return to compliance with the JCPOA. (Reporting by Simon Lewis and Humeyra Pamuk)
By Juliette Jabkhiro LE HAVRE, France (Reuters) - Britain on Thursday condemned France s disproportionate seizure of a British fishing boat in French waters, marking a sharp deterioration in a row over post-Brexit fishing rights that is in danger of spinning out of control. French Seas Minister Annick Girardin said the vessel was detained during routing checks off the northern port of Le Havre overnight as it was not allowed to fish in French territorial waters. A second British boat was given a verbal warning. The action signalled France s determination not to back down in the dispute after setting out potential sanctions against Britain if there is no progress in talks. They included extra customs checks on British goods and what was widely seen as a threat to reduce electricity exports to the United Kingdom or raise tariffs if talks fail. It s not war, but it is a fight, Girardin told RTL radio. British fishing grounds are among the richest in the North East Atlantic zone, where mos
BOGOTA (Reuters) - Jamaica will extradite a former Colombian military member implicated in the assassination of former Haiti President Jovenel Moise to Port-au-Prince, Colombia s police chief said on Friday. Mario Antonio Palacios, 43, was arrested in Jamaica, Haitian authorities said, describing him has very dangerous. Palacios is accused by Haitian authorities of forming part of a mercenary group that assassinated Moise in July during an assault on his private residence, during which his wife was also injured. In Colombia there is no investigation against this person, Colombia s national police chief General Jorge Vargas said, adding that an Interpol red notice arrived from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, where they seek the capture of this person. Vargas gave no further details of Palacios capture. Moise was assassinated in his home on July 7 by an armed group which included 26 Colombians and two Haitian-Americans, authorities of the Caribbean nation say. Eighteen Colombians have been detai