Iranian masked gunmen seize oil tanker that US previously detained

“There is so much scope for escalation, for things to go really wrong – either on purpose, or by accident,” said Tobias Borck, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute. “This seizure of the tanker adds another wrinkle of complexity,” he said. “The entire region is extraordinarily tense." “It’s long been part of Iran’s modus operandi in moments when it wants to demonstrate its ability to create problems, and its ability to put pressure on the West – specifically speaking, the US,” said Mr Borck.