US Pursuit of Iranian Tanker Sparks Russian Flag Incident
An aging oil tanker, pursued by the US for nearly two weeks, has painted a crude Russian flag on its hull, possibly to claim Russian protection and complicate legal actions. The vessel, under US sanctions for allegedly shipping Iranian oil, has been resisting seizure since December 21 and is now flying an unrecognized flag, with US officials considering whether to continue efforts to seize it amid ongoing tensions over Venezuelan oil sanctions.