Armed attackers board German and Greek cargo vessels off the West African coast ByCostas ParisAug. 19, 2019 11:22 am ET Armed attackers kidnapped 17 crew members from German and Greek vessels in piracy-troubled waters off the coast of Cameroon in two incidents last week and are seeking “huge sums” for their release, people involved in the matter said. The first …

Gibraltar has freed an Iranian oil tanker detained last month on suspicion of sanctions-busting, despite a last-minute plea by the US authorities. The UK territory received written assurances from Iran that the ship would not discharge its cargo in Syria. Grace 1, carrying Iranian oil, was stopped by Royal Marines on 4 July, triggering a standoff with Tehran. Gibraltar’s chief …

Yemeni separatists have taken effective control of the port city of Aden after days of fighting with troops loyal to the internationally backed government. Forces aligned with the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) – which wants an independent south – said they had seized control of military camps and the presidential palace. The opposing Saudi-led coalition said it had responded …

Iran has seized another foreign tanker in the Gulf, state media reports claim.  Iranian forces seized the Iraqi ship for “smuggling fuel for some Arab countries” and detained seven sailors, according to the reports. Iraq’s oil ministry has said it has no connection to the seized vessel and that it is working to gather information about it. The incident comes …

A second Royal Navy warship has arrived in the Gulf to protect British ships amid heightened tensions in the region. HMS Duncan has joined frigate HMS Montrose to escort vessels sailing under the British flag through the Strait of Hormuz. HMS Montrose has so far accompanied 35 vessels through the strait, according to the Ministry of Defence (MoD). Defence Secretary …

LONDON (Reuters) – Shipping associations have called on ship owners to inform Britain’s navy of their movements before sailing into the Middle East Gulf and Strait of Hormuz because of the escalating international crisis in the region.  About a fifth of the world’s oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz and shipping companies are already deploying more unarmed security guards …

By MELISSA ETEHAD STAFF WRITER JULY 19, 2019 6:16 PM The seizure of a British oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is the latest example of how tensions between the U.S. and Iran have spilled into one of the world’s most strategic and vital waterways for oil. Since May, Iran has been accused of harassing and attacking oil tankers in the strait. As the …

Aziz El Yaakoubi ABOARD USS BOXER, Arabian Sea (Reuters) – At a thumbs-up sign from a sailor, a U.S. Harrier fighter jet takes off from the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer in the Arabian Sea as an oil tanker passes, a nautical mile away. The patrol is “standard” but the situation – growing tension between the United States and Iran …