Guardian, December 11 2025
Hear John Mearsheimer’s ten minute response to the news of yesterday’s seizure. It’s repetitive, which is not the professor’s style, while occasional strange pauses suggest an AI stitch together. Worth watching all the same, but you need only catch the first few minutes.
I’ll bring further takes on this crude move – pun intended – as and when.
December 11, 19:00 – now the Duran have uploaded a useful discussion, just under half an hour.
December 12, 07:28 – see Caitlin’s post today, The empire is scrambling to fully dominate Latin America
* * *
Moon of Alabama cuts to the chase:
https://www.moonofalabama.org/2025/12/will-centcom-condemn-this-blatant-act-of-piracy.html
“U.S. Central Command – Press Release Nov. 16, 2025”
https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RE…
“Iranian Forces Illegally Seize Commercial Tanker in International Waters”
We now await CentCom’s statement on this:
CBS, Dec 10 2025 https://www.cbsnews.com/news/u-s-seize…
“Washington — The U.S. has seized a large oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, officials said Wednesday, escalating tensions between the two countries. President Trump said he assumes the U.S. will keep the oil.
Bloomberg first reported the oil tanker seizure. Mr. Trump announced the seizure during a roundtable meeting at the White House, saying the tanker was “seized for a very good reason.””
“The M/V Talara had been boarded by Iranian forces on November 15 because there was reason to believe that it was carrying Iranian oil that had been illegally smuggled out of the country. On November 19, after the oil on board had been tested, the vessel, its crew and its cargo were released.
The U.S. move, with the intent to keep the oil the tanker Skipper is carrying, is in contrast just blatant piracy.”
As some wag BTL at SONAR21 observed: “Pirates of the Caribbean.”