A number of news reports, like this one, indicate that MV Eglantine was hijacked by Somali pirates yesterday near the Maldives and about 460 nautical miles west south west of India’s Cape Comorin. The scene of the hijacking was 1,800 miles from Somalia. Twenty-three crew members were on board.

Regular readers might recognize the name of this ship because it is one of the Iranian vessels on the Office of Foreign Assets Control’s list of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons. This leads to a number of interesting questions. Will OFAC send a charging letter to the pirates accusing them of engaging in illegal transactions with a blocked vessel? Or should it send the pirates a thank you note for more effectively blocking the ship than OFAC has so far managed to do?

Another news report says this:

US Naval forces have said they will attempt aid and rescue just as if it were any other flagged ship, Iranian or not.

Doesn’t the U.S. Navy need a license from OFAC to provide rescue services to the Iranian crew members and shipping company? Will OFAC send the Navy a charging letter if it rescues the crew without an OFAC license? Will the Navy have to block the ship once it rescues it?

Of course, these are all rhetorical questions. Even so, one must wonder how we ever expect our sanctions to deter Iran’s nuclear ambitions if we let our Navy rescue their ships every time they get in a tight spot. A few unrescued Somali hijackings and I’m sure Iran would just throw in the towel and turn their nuclear facilities over to us.

Permalink


Copyright © 2012 Clif Burns. All Rights Reserved.
(No republication, syndication or use permitted without my consent.)