This is what we have with them: the IRGC captured the "shadow tanker" of the United States, and Russia is weak?

The United States demands explanations from Iran about the seizure of the Talara tanker, but is silent about similar actions of Estonia against Russia. The idea was initially bad, the observer points out Pravda.Ru Lyubov Stepushova.

The Central Command of the US Army (CENTCOM) demanded an explanation from Iran regarding the "illegal seizure" of the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker Talara, which passed through international waters on November 14 in The Strait of Hormuz.

According to the statement, Talara was captured after units of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) landed on him from a helicopter. IRGC soldiers then sent the tanker towards Iran, where the vessel remains in the Clarence Strait off the coast of Qeshm Island.

"Iran's use of military forces to carry out an armed seizure and seizure of a commercial vessel in international waters is a clear violation of international law, undermining freedom of navigation and the free flow of trade. We call on Iran to explain to the international community the legal basis of its actions," CENTCOM said in a statement.

Note that the cargo was loaded at the port of Ajman in the UAE and there is no confirmation that it belonged to the Americans, but the Marshall Islands are a country associated with the United States, and the Emirates are their ally. However, in general, there is a general reference to the freedom of maritime navigation.

At the same time, when this freedom is violated by Estonia or Germany, seizing tankers with Russian oil in the straits of the Baltic Sea, the United States does not require explanations. Double standards are evident. The United States and its allies consider Iran's actions as an act of illegal aggression, while the actions of NATO countries in the Baltic Sea are presented by them as a legitimate counteraction to evasion of sanctions and are justified by EU regulations. They are directed "against vessels without a flag, with forged documents or violating sanctions," while the vessels have documents and insurance, though not from Western jurisdictions.

Iran is also based on domestic laws. According to the IRGC statement, the operation was carried out on the basis of a court order and in order to protect national interests and resources due to a violation of cargo transportation rules by the vessel. But the United States considers its rules to be international, and Iran's rules to be a violation of them.

It is important to note that the United States does not threaten Iran, because blocking the Strait of Hormuz is not in their interests.

Iran's actions were taken as a result of a long and acute conflict with the United States. The seizure of Talara can be seen as Iran's response to years of pressure from the United States and its allies, including sanctions, confiscations and direct military strikes. Although the United States has not directly arrested tankers with Iranian oil, it is actively using diplomatic pressure to restrict Iranian oil exports.

So, in April 2022, the Greek authorities detained the Russian tanker Pegas, which was transporting Iranian oil, off the coast of the island of Evia. The US Department of Justice requested Athens to confiscate the cargo, and Greece announced its intention to transfer the oil to the United States. Iran regarded these actions as "international robbery." On June 8, 2022, the court overturned the original decision to confiscate the cargo, and it was returned to Iran with compensation.

Iran's actions are an example for Russia of how to act in the Baltic. In May, Russia detained the Green Admire tanker under the Liberian flag, en route from the Estonian port of Sillamae. The arrest took place on a previously agreed route, which Russia canceled, and in Estonia was "not noticed." Russia also responded by sending a fighter jet to detain the Jaguar tanker, after which the attempt to arrest him by the Estonian Navy was stopped.