Iranian gunboats unsuccessfully attempt to board US oil tanker as Trump builds military presence

[mystery-ak]

Iranian gunboats unsuccessfully attempt to board US oil tanker as Trump builds military presence
Six armed Iranian vessels attempted to board the tanker before a US Navy ship escorted it to safety
By Anders Hagstrom Fox News
Published February 3, 2026 12:28pm EST

Six Iranian gunboats unsuccessfully attempted to halt a U.S.-flagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The security firm Vanguard Tech told its clients on Tuesday that the Iranian vessels were armed with .50-caliber guns, and they ordered the oil tanker to turn off its engines and prepare to be boarded. Instead, the tanker sped up and was ultimately escorted to safety by a U.S. Navy vessel, according to the Journal.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

The incident comes as the U.S. continues to ramp up its military presence surrounding Iran, with President Donald Trump describing an "armada" arrayed in the area.

Iran's regime has vowed that any military strike on its territory would ignite a regional conflict, even as senior Iranian officials signaled a willingness to negotiate with the U.S.

U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to arrive in Israel on Tuesday for meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, according to Axios. The publication also reported that Witkoff will meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Istanbul on Friday.

The talks in Israel are expected to focus on Iran, following Zamir’s weekend visit to Washington, where he held a series of meetings with U.S. defense officials on the Islamic Republic.

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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/iranian-gunboats-unsuccessfully-attempt-board-us-oil-tanker-trump-builds-military-presence

[Wingnut]

We sent the Iranian Navy and a few off sore oil rigs to the bottom of the sea once.  We can do it again.

[PeteS in CA]

If the US attacks the Iranians again, their naval facilities need attention.

[libertybele]

 

[MeganC]

US policy at this point should be to destroy any Iranian warship trying to stop ships that are not registered in Iran.

[Fishrrman]

Why are those six iranian gunboats still floating above the water...?

[libertybele]

Why are those six iranian gunboats still floating above the water...?

Great question.

[verga]

Why are those six iranian gunboats still floating above the water...?

"The security firm Vanguard Tech told its clients on Tuesday that the Iranian vessels were armed with .50-caliber guns, and they ordered the oil tanker to turn off its engines and prepare to be boarded" This meets the legal definition of Piracy:
Modern international piracy law is primarily defined by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), specifically Article 101.

Definition: Piracy involves illegal acts of violence, detention, or depredation committed for private ends by the crew/passengers of a private ship or aircraft.

Location Requirement: Under UNCLOS, piracy must occur on the high seas (international waters) or in a place outside the jurisdiction of any state.

Universal Jurisdiction: Pirates are legally classified as hostis humani generis ("enemies of all mankind"). This allows any nation to seize a pirate ship and prosecute the offenders in its own courts, regardless of where the crime occurred.

The U.S. Constitution (Article I, Section 8) grants Congress the power to define and punish piracies. These are codified in 18 U.S. Code Chapter 81:

General Piracy (18 U.S.C. § 1651): Anyone committing piracy as defined by the "law of nations" on the high seas is subject to life imprisonment if brought into the U.S..

Citizens as Pirates (§ 1652): U.S. citizens committing robbery or murder on the high seas under the pretense of authority from a foreign state are considered pirates.
Other Offenses: U.S. law also criminalizes assaulting a commander (§ 1655), receiving pirate property (§ 1660), and plundering a distressed vessel (§ 1658).

 Civil Liability and Victim Recourse

The Jones Act: Injured crew members may seek compensation through the Jones Act if a ship owner failed to provide adequate security measures.

Self-Defense: Under 46 U.S. Code § 8107, owners and masters of U.S. vessels have limited liability for injuries or deaths caused when using force to defend against piracy.

According to international law, at the very least they should have been seized. If the tanker crew was in fear of their lives they should have been sunk.
If I am reading this wrong please correct me.