British armed forces were involved in US seizure of oil tanker, MoD reveals

British armed forces provided support to the US’s seizure of a Russian-flagged oil tanker on Wednesday, the Ministry of Defence has revealed.

The Marinera, a Venezuelan-linked vessel previously known as Bella-1, was captured by US forces on Wednesday as it travelled north and eastwards through the waters between Iceland and Scotland.

RAF surveillance aircraft and a naval supply ship, the RFA Tideforce, were among the British military assets which took part in the operation, according to the MoD.

The capture of the Marinera, which appeared bound for a Russian Arctic port, could prove a new flashpoint in relations between the West and Moscow, whose transport ministry appeared to suggest the international law of the sea had been breached.

Donald Trump appeared to take a swipe at America’s Nato partners following the operation, suggesting America was “always there” for the alliance but the opposite was not true, despite British involvement.

“We will always be there for Nato, even if they won’t be there for us. The only nation that China and Russia fear and respect is the DJT (Donald J Trump) REBUILT USA. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!” he wrote on social media.

The sanctioned tanker has been pursued by the US over several weeks, after it apparently escaped what Mr Trump described as the “total naval blockade” of Venezuela put in place in December.

Another Venezuela-linked tanker, the Sophia, was also seized by the US during a “pre-dawn” raid in the Caribbean on Wednesday, according to the US Southern Command.

The MoD insisted Britain’s support in capturing the Marinera was “in full compliance with international law”.

'Global action'

Defence Secretary John Healey said: “Today our UK Armed Forces showed skill and professionalism in support of a successful US interception of the vessel Bella 1 while on its way to Russia. This action formed part of global efforts to crack down on sanctions busting.

“This ship, with a nefarious history, is part of a Russian-Iranian axis of sanctions evasion which is fuelling terrorism, conflict and misery from the Middle East to Ukraine.

“The UK will continue to step up our action against shadow fleet activity to protect our national security, our economy and global stability – making Britain secure at home and strong abroad.

“The US is the UK’s closest defence and security partner. The depth of our defence relationship with the US is an essential part of our security, and today’s seamlessly executed operation shows just how well this works in practice.”

The MoD added that the ship had initially flown a false flag and is assessed to have been involved in illegal activity linked to Hezbollah.

Sanctions

It is subject to anti-Iranian sanctions by the US, as part of efforts to stop the regime in Tehran from selling oil.

Russia’s transport ministry said it had granted the Marinera, previously flagged in Guyana, a “temporary permit to sail under the Russian Federation flag” on Christmas eve.

It added that “no state has the right to use force against vessels duly registered in the jurisdictions of other states” under the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea.

Ahead of the Marinera’s seizure, Kremlin adviser and former Russian deputy foreign minister Andrei Fedorov warned such a move would “be considered as (an) attack on Russia, and it could lead to very critical or maybe even crisis situation in relations between Russia and US”.

He also told BBC Radio 4’s World At One programme Russian submarines, which have been speeding towards the tanker to escort it, would not fire on the US forces but could cause “technical difficulties” such as a “slight collision”.

American and British surveillance aircraft could be seen flying over the path of the Marinera in recent days, as it made its way northwards through the Atlantic.

Among the latest were US special operations aircraft, which landed at a Scottish airport, Wick John O’Groats, before flying further north towards Iceland on Wednesday, according to flight tracking websites.

Emergency statement

An emergency statement on the tanker’s seizure is expected to be made in the Commons at around 7pm on Wednesday evening.

Baroness Chapman, a Foreign Office minister in the House of Lords, signalled to peers Mr Healey would be updating MPs on the operation.

“Of course I am aware of the events in the north Atlantic and I understand the Defence Secretary will shortly be making some remarks about this and I think it’s better to allow the House to be updated properly in due course on this quickly evolving matter,” she said.

Mr Healey is also expected to update MPs on plans to deploy troops to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire.