Things in the Strait of Hormuz are still tense, and if reports are accurate, a new event may ratchet those tensions up some. But in this latest, what appears to be an act of senseless belligerence, the goblins in Tehran should be looking, not west at the Gulf states and American forces, but east, to China. A Chinese-owned oil tanker is reported to have been hit near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, and it’s serious enough of a hit that the ship was reportedly set afire.
A Chinese-owned oil products tanker was attacked near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, Chinese media outlet Caixin reported, as President Donald Trump launched a U.S. plan that day to help stranded vessels but suspended it a day later.
This was the first time a Chinese oil tanker has been attacked, a person with knowledge of the matter told Caixin on Thursday.
If Iran really did fire on a Chinese-flagged tanker, that’s a serious deal – and it’s a safe bet the United States or Israel wouldn’t fire on a Chinese ship. Beijing and Tehran have had a working relationship for years, and China is Iran’s principal buyer of oil. For Iran to be crazy enough to attack a Chinese-owned oil carrier, that’s just nuts, and makes one wonder: Was it ordered by someone in Beijing, by someone in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), or was this just some random Iranian guy with a missile launcher and a wild hair?
Either way, it won’t do China/Iran relations any good.
Traffic through the vital strait, through which 20% of the world’s oil and gas supplies pass, has been at a virtual standstill since the Iran conflict began on Feb. 28.
The unnamed vessel’s deck caught fire and the ship was marked “CHINA OWNER & CREW,” according to Caixin.
It was not clear if any of the vessel’s crew were injured.
Politics aside, let’s hope the crew is OK.
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At least one Gulf-oriented news outlet appears to have confirmed the account:
A Chinese-owned oil products tanker was attacked near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, Chinese media outlet Caixin reported, as President Donald Trump launched a U.S. plan that day to help stranded vessels but suspended it a day later.
This was the first time a Chinese oil tanker has been attacked, a person with knowledge of the matter told Caixin on Thursday.
Traffic through the vital strait, through which 20% of the world’s oil and gas supplies pass, has been at a virtual standstill since the Iran conflict began on Feb. 28.
The unnamed vessel’s deck caught fire and the ship was marked “CHINA OWNER & CREW,” according to Caixin.
It was not clear if any of the vessel’s crew were injured.
This kind of attack, this kind of incident, could be an indication that what’s left of Iran’s government and military are beginning to seriously clip their clutches. If it were a local commander, military, or IRGC that ordered this, then it’s another indicator that Tehran has lost control. If Tehran ordered it, it’s an indicator that what’s left of the civil government is growing desperate.
Keep an eye on China for the next few days. This could get downright interesting.
Editor’s Note: For decades, former presidents have been all talk and no action. Now, Donald Trump is eliminating the threat from Iran once and for all.
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