Eleven days after Gibraltar released a detained Iranian oil tanker in mid-August, over U.S. objections, the ship's Indian captain got an email from a top U.S. State Department official offering him several million dollars to steer the ship to a port where the U.S. could seize it, the Financial Times reported Wednesday. The State Department then confirmed the offer and the new strategy to mix offers of cash and threats of sanctions or even jail to thwart Iranian oil shipments. "We have conducted extensive outreach to several ship captains as well as shipping companies," a State Department spokeswoman told AFP.
The ship's captain, Akhilesh Kumar, ignored the Aug. 26 offer of "good news" from Brian Hook, the head of the State Department's Iran Action Group, so Hook tried again. "With this money you can have any life you wish and be well-off in old age," he wrote Kumar two days later. "If you choose not to take this easy path, life will be much harder for you." Two days after that, on Friday, the U.S. slapped sanctions on Kumar and the ship, renamed the Adrian Darya 1. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called the emails "outright blackmail" after failed "piracy."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Best TV shows coming in 2025The Week Recommends From Wild Cherry to The Bear, next year's most anticipated new and returning watches
-
Sudan's forgotten pyramidsUnder the Radar Brutal civil war and widespread looting threatens African nation's ancient heritage
-
'Being more nuanced will not be easy for public health agencies'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Boeing machinists approve contract, end strikeSpeed Read The company's largest union approved the new contract offer, ending a seven-week strike
-
US economy still strong in final preelection reportSpeed Read It grew at a solid 2.8% annual rate from July through September
-
Boeing machinists reject deal, continue strikeSpeed Read The rejection came the same day Boeing reported a $6.2 billion quarterly loss
-
Ports reopen after dockworkers halt strikeSpeed Read The 36 ports that closed this week, from Maine to Texas, will start reopening today
-
Empty-nest boomers aren't selling their big homesSpeed Read Most Americans 60 and older do not intend to move, according to a recent survey
-
Brazil accuses Musk of 'disinformation campaign'Speed Read A Brazilian Supreme Court judge has opened an inquiry into Elon Musk and X
-
Disney board fends off Peltz infiltration bidSpeed Read Disney CEO Bob Iger has defeated activist investor Nelson Peltz in a contentious proxy battle
-
Disney and DeSantis reach detenteSpeed Read The Florida governor and Disney settle a yearslong litigation over control of the tourism district
