British armed forces supported the US seizure of a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic on Wednesday, the Ministry of Defence has said.
The Marinera, a Venezuelan-linked tanker previously known as the Bella 1, was stopped by the US Coast Guard, as it travelled northwards through waters between Iceland and Scotland.
The MoD said RAF surveillance aircraft and a naval support vessel, the RFA Tideforce, were among the UK military assets that took part in the operation, following a US request for assistance.
Defence Secretary John Healey said the action was “in full compliance with international law”, and “formed part of global efforts to crack down on sanctions- busting”.
Healey said: “The depth of our defence relationship with the US is an essential part of our security, and today’s seamlessly executed operation shows just how well this works in practice.”
The seizure of the Marinera came as the US said it had seized the Sophia, another tanker with connections to Venezuela, in the Caribbean – and days after a military operation in Caracas to remove President Nicolás Maduro from power.
In a statement, the MoD said the Marinera was assessed to have been involved in illegal activity linked to Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah.
It said: “The ship, initially flying a false flag, turned off its transponders while at sea and sought to reflag while being pursued.”
Healey said the Marinera was “part of a Russian-Iranian axis of sanctions evasion which is fuelling terrorism, conflict, and misery from the Middle East to Ukraine”.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the tanker had “a pretty nefarious history” and the UK “provided enabling support to the United States”.
She said: “We understand that the vessel in question had been sanctioned by the US when it sought to evade a blockade near Venezuela in December and the sanctions that the US had applied to this vessel were part of their counter-Iran sanctions regime.
“So really this vessel is part of what is known as the shadow fleet.”
Moscow says the Marinera was only temporarily flagged as a Russia vessel, and that “no state has the right to use force against vessels properly registered in other countries’ jurisdictions”. It also demanded the US ensure “humane and proper treatment” of Russian citizens on board.
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