The United States Coast Guard has suspended the operation to seize the sanctioned oil tanker Bella 1. All because an image of the Russian flag appeared on board.

This is stated in the material of The Wall Street Journal, reports Censor.NET .

Details

On December 21, the US Coast Guard attempted to intercept the Bella 1 vessel in the Caribbean Sea, which was heading to Venezuela for oil.

According to American officials, The New York Times reports , the Bella 1 crew members later painted a Russian flag on the tanker during the escape and are now claiming Russian status.

The tanker has been under U.S. sanctions since last year for transporting Iranian oil, which federal authorities say is being sold to finance terrorism.

The military says it is fully prepared to seize the ship by force, but is currently waiting for permission from the White House.

However, the situation became complicated after the Russian tricolor was carelessly painted on the tanker’s hull.

The coast guard can seize vessels if they are stateless or suspected of fraud, according to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The US believed that the Bella 1 vessel was using a false flag and could therefore be arrested.

However, experts say that if the ship did manage to be legally re-registered in the Russian Federation, a forcible seizure could become a diplomatic escalation.

The US is currently trying to clarify the status of the tanker through diplomatic channels.

The White House declined to comment on the report. The Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security also declined to comment. The Russian Embassy in Washington did not respond to requests for comment. Джерело: https://censor.net/ua/n3593207

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