Nournews: An informed security official warned that if Washington uses the so-called “prize courts” mechanism to seize Iranian oil tankers and confiscate their cargoes, the Islamic Republic of Iran will take swift and serious action to impose reciprocal costs on U.S. interests in the Persian Gulf.
The warning came after U.S. media reported last night that the U.S. Department of Justice is working to revive the “prize courts,” an old legal mechanism that could facilitate the seizure of Iranian oil tankers and the conversion of oil and other confiscated cargoes into U.S. assets, with their proceeds going to the U.S. Treasury. The mechanism was used for centuries during naval wars but has effectively fallen into disuse since World War II.
The security official stressed: “If the United States intends to seize Iranian oil at sea and then confiscate it under the pretext of wartime prize, it must be prepared for U.S. interests to become subject to reciprocal action.”
He added: “U.S. interests in shipping, energy, insurance, financing, and related infrastructure in the Persian Gulf will not be immune from the consequences of such an action.”
He further noted: “Companies and institutions involved in the ownership, financing, insurance, or operation of U.S. interests in the region have been identified and are being monitored.”
The security official made clear: “We are not seeking to harm the trade of regional countries or disrupt the activities of neutral states. However, this should not be mistaken for an inability on Iran’s part to respond.”
He said: “If the Americans believe they can use the complexity of the shipping network and intermediary companies to shield themselves from the costs of their actions against Iran, they are mistaken. If necessary, a commensurate level of response will be defined for every level of U.S. action.”
The informed security official warned: “The systematic seizure and confiscation of Iranian oil would mark the beginning of a two-way confrontation. The United States cannot claim the right to confiscate Iranian assets while simultaneously expecting its interests in the Persian Gulf to remain immune from reciprocal action.”
He concluded: “The final decision on the nature and level of Iran’s response will depend on the other side’s conduct. But if Washington escalates its policy of economic and maritime confrontation, the Islamic Republic of Iran has the necessary tools to increase the costs of that policy.”
Nournews