Iran ‘hijacks’ oil tanker in Gulf of Oman

Iranian-backed forces were suspected of seizing an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman on Tuesday night, just days after Iran was blamed for a drone attack on another tanker that killed a British crew member. 

The Royal Navy’s UK Maritime Trade Operations [UKMTO] agency warned of a suspected “hijacking” incident near the Emirati port of Fujairah but did not give further details.

The hijacked ship was believed to be the Asphalt Princess, a Panama-flagged vessel. Armed soldiers had reportedly stormed on board.

The asphalt and bitumen tanker was believed to be travelling to Sohar, a port on Oman’s northern coast, when it was attacked at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday afternoon.

Satellite-tracking data for the vessel showed it slowly heading toward Iranian waters off the port of Jask early on Wednesday, according to MarineTraffic.com.

The incident comes after Dominic Raab, the Foreign Secretary, accused Iran of a “deliberate, targeted, and a clear violation of international law” following a drone attack on the Liberian-flagged tanker Mercer Street last week. 

Latest reports indicate the ship has now been retaken. Here at the Trumpet we’ve long drawn attention to Iran’s ambitions to dominate key shipping lanes.

Bible prophecy describes radical Islam led by Iran as “the king of the south.” A key prophecy shows that radical Islam will have a major role in and around the Red Sea. Here’s what Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry writes in his booklet Libya and Ethiopia in Prophecy:

“But he [the king of the north] shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps” (Daniel 11:43). Why did God inspire the mentioning of Libya and Ethiopia? Every word in God’s inspired Bible has significance. God placed two nations in the same verse as Egypt for a definite reason. This verse states that Libya and Ethiopia are also going to be closely allied with Iran! …

Why would Iran be so interested in getting some measure of control over Libya and Ethiopia? To me, the answer is intriguing. 

All you need to do is get a good map of the Middle East, with the emphasis on the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Then you can see why the king of the south, or radical Islam, is so interested in an alliance with or control over these two countries (as well as Egypt and Tunisia). They are on the two seas that comprise the most important trade route in the world!

Whoever heavily influences or controls Ethiopia will undoubtedly also control the small areas of Eritrea and Djibouti on the Red Sea coastline. These areas only recently became independent of Ethiopia. Also, I believe the Bible view is that these small areas are included as a part of Ethiopia.

Controlling the Suez Canal is not enough. Egypt tried that in 1956, when Britain, France and Israel kicked it out in one attack. But what if you have radical Islamic nations along this sea trade route with real air power—including missiles? 

That could give Iran virtual control of the trade through those seas. Radical Islam could stop the flow of essential oil to the U.S. and Europe!