U.S. forces boarded and searched the Iranian-flagged oil tanker M/T Celestial Sea in the Gulf of Oman, redirecting it after inspection. The operation marks at least the fifth such interdiction since the Trump administration initiated a blockade of Iranian shipping in mid-April, days after a ceasefire took effect.
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“US military boards Iranian-flagged oil tanker suspected of trying to breach blockade”
Read at Associated Press →“US military boards Iranian-flagged oil tanker in Gulf of Oman, releases after search”
Read at Anadolu Agency →The boarding escalates Gulf tensions through unilateral force and risks harming Iranian civilians via economic restrictions.
“Unilateral U.S. actions undermine diplomacy and normalize coercive tactics outside UN authorization.”
The operation enforces sanctions against a regime funding terrorism and pursuing nuclear ambitions.
“Naval presence and interdictions provide calibrated deterrence superior to prior diplomatic approaches.”
Boarding a commercial vessel disrupts private trade and property rights without imminent threat to U.S. territory.
“Government coercion on the high seas prioritizes foreign policy over individual liberty and non-aggression.”
All views accept the blockade's legitimacy without examining lack of evidence, legal authority, or operational mechanics.
“Shared omission of formal authorization questions and downstream effects on global shipping norms.”
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