News : Middle East

It was reported on Monday that a tanker laden with Iranian oil, which was ordered released by authorities in Gibraltar last week, was apparently on its way to a port in Greece. On July 4, the Grace 1 was seized by British Royal Marines after entering the Mediterranean Sea, marking a notable escalation in tensions between Iran and the West. Roughly two weeks later, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps seized a British-flagged vessel in retaliation while demanding the release of the Grace 1.

By INU Staff

INU - Following the arrival of a second British warship in the Gulf, the United Kingdom is set to send further military personnel, faced with the crisis over Iran’s recent seizure of a British tanker.

It has been reported that the Royal Navy's HMS Duncan will be stationed to ensure the safe passage of British vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. The passageway is of vital importance to world trade. Approximately one fifth of all global crude oil passes through the Strait.

By INU Staff

INU - The US special representative for Iran called on all nations on Sunday to "use their diplomatic effort to urge Iran to de-escalate and meet diplomacy with diplomacy" at a time of rising tensions between American and Iran.

US special envoy Brian Hook said: "We are not interested in... military conflict against Iran, we have enhanced our forces' postures in the region for purely defensive purposes."

By INU Staff

INU - Last week, two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman were attacked. The United States, very soon afterwards, said that it was clear Iran was behind the attacks. Iran, of course, denied playing any part in it.

There are major concerns that this is going to spark a war – something that the region does not need considering all the recent bloodshed. The Trump administration is also claiming that it does not want there to be a war, but admits that it cannot just ignore Iran’s actions.

By INU Staff

INU - On Wednesday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrived in Tehran for the purpose of adding to a series of efforts by international policymakers to counteract the escalation of tensions between Iran and the United States. It was the first visit to the Islamic Republic by a Japanese head of state since the current government was founded in the wake of the 1979 Iranian revolution.

By Edward Carney

It was reported on Wednesday that Nizar Zakka, a Lebanese citizen and permanent resident of the United States who has been held hostage in Iran since 2015, is scheduled to be released in the coming days. Zakka was one of several US nationals who were taken prisoner on false or unsubstantiated charges in the aftermath of that year’s Iran nuclear agreement, even though its implementation coincided with the release of four individuals who had previously been arrested and prosecuted. His pending release is arguably a rare sign of progress in discussions related to the Iranian regime’s penchant for hostage taking, although it may also be interpreted as a response to Zakka’s Lebanese nationality, rather than his American residency.