Panama-Flagged Tanker Hijacked and Forced to Travel to Iran
SEIZED
A Panamanian ship was hijacked by armed men and ordered to sail to Iran, BBC reports. The White House has expressed concern about the hijacking, for which Iranian forces are suspected, though they have denied involvement. “We’re monitoring this developing situation, and we are in close touch with London and other partners who around the world who are also monitoring,” said White House press secretary Jen Psaki in a press briefing Tuesday afternoon. The United Kingdom’s Royal Navy reported the hijacking of the MV Asphalt Princess near the Gulf of Oman, just off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. “It is absolutely vital that Iran and every other country respects the freedoms of navigation around the world, and the UK will continue to insist on that,” said Prime Minister Boris Johnson in response to the hijacking.