The White House has said the crew of a Russian‑flagged oil tanker seized in the North Atlantic could face prosecution in the United States.
The vessel, formerly known as Bella‑1 and now renamed Marinera, was carrying Venezuelan oil in violation of U.S. sanctions.
The White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters the tanker was tracked and seized under a federal court order after earlier attempts to board it in the Caribbean failed. She said the operation is part of enforcing the embargo on “dark-fleet” vessels transporting Venezuelan oil illegally and that the crew could be brought to the U.S. for trial if necessary.
Leavitt stressed the operation is not expected to escalate tensions with Russia or China, adding: “The president has very good, open relationships with both President Putin and President Xi… but he will enforce U.S. policy that is in the national interest.”
Ukraine welcomed the seizure, calling it evidence of Donald Trump’s “resolute leadership,” while Russia condemned the action as a violation of international law and insisted the rights of Russian citizens on board be respected.
The tanker had been under U.S. sanctions since 2024 for alleged involvement in sanctions‑evasion oil transport. After attempts to evade a U.S. blockade in the Caribbean, it changed its name to Marinera and re‑flagged itself as Russian while crossing the Atlantic. The ship was intercepted northeast of Iceland with support from surveillance aircraft and U.S. Coast Guard assets.
The seizure is part of a broader U.S. crackdown on what authorities call a “shadow fleet” of vessels carrying oil in breach of sanctions. A second tanker linked to Venezuela was also intercepted near the Caribbean Sea.
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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered the start of nuclear talks with the United States, Iranian media reported on Monday, signalling a possible diplomatic opening after months of heightened tensions.
Kazakhstan’s Reform Commission has published a draft of a new Constitution that would mark the most extensive revision of the country’s law since independence, including an absolute ban on the death penalty and more rights and freedoms for citizens.
Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) has accused French President Emmanuel Macron of authorising intelligence operations aimed at eliminating “undesirable leaders” in Africa, claiming that Paris is pursuing a political comeback after losing ground in several former colonies.
Any U.S. military strike on Iran would almost certainly trigger cross-border retaliation and could ignite a wider regional war, according to political analyst James M. Dorsey.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States has begun negotiations with European leaders over Greenland and that an agreement is already taking shape.
The United States accused Cuba of interfering with the work of its top diplomat in Havana on Sunday (1 February) after small groups of Cubans jeered at him during meetings with residents and church representatives.
Dmitry Medvedev, said European countries have failed to defeat Russia in Ukraine and have instead inflicted serious economic damage on themselves, as he criticised EU policy, praised Donald Trump as a leader who seeks peace, and said Russia would “soon” achieve military victory in the war.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned that any U.S. military attack on Iran would spark a wider regional conflict, Iranian semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday.
U.S. president Donald Trump said Iran is “seriously talking” with the United States and expressed hope that negotiations could lead to an outcome acceptable to Washington.
Hungary has vowed legal action against the European Union over a planned ban on Russian gas imports by 2027, after Brussels said national objections would not override EU law.
Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) has accused French President Emmanuel Macron of authorising intelligence operations aimed at eliminating “undesirable leaders” in Africa, claiming that Paris is pursuing a political comeback after losing ground in several former colonies.
Türkiye, Egypt, and Qatar are trying to organise a meeting in Ankara between White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and top Iranian officials, according to reports in the U.S. and Turkish media.
German authorities have arrested five people suspected of running a criminal network to circumvent European Union sanctions by exporting goods to at least 24 sanctioned Russian defence companies, the federal prosecutor’s office said on Monday.
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