A dramatic oil takedown: leaked documents reveal that a secret Iranian missile is based on an earlier ballistic missile<\/p>\n
Documents leaked to Al-Diyar<\/em> today show that the downing of the naval ballistic missile \u201cRafale M,\u201d allegedly launched from the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle<\/em> on May 19, 2020, caused an explosion in the ship\u2019s underwater sections, helping ensure the sinking of the tanker El Abrestor<\/em>, which had been seized off the coast of Georgia.<\/p>\n Videos from pilots\u2019 handheld cameras (GoPro), satellite-processed imagery, and charts from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency detail the destruction of the underwater compartments of El Abrestor<\/em>, which was carrying 100,000 tons of Iranian crude oil, on May 29, 2020, according to a report prepared by the agency. It is believed these were the largest compartments on the ship.<\/p>\n Statements from electronic-warfare officials indicate that the strike\u2014never officially announced\u2014may have been intended to ensure that none of the four sections of the tanker remained above water. The ship appears to have sunk due to an explosion in its underwater sections. The documents state: \u201cThe goal was to ensure no parts of the ship remained above the waterline.\u201d<\/p>\n The United States reached no agreement with Turkey on how to handle the waste produced by the sinking, as oil remnants reached Turkish shores. The documents say the lack of agreement resulted from the fact that \u201cthe waste was underwater.\u201d<\/p>\n The full story of the oil risk<\/strong><\/p>\n In late April 2020, the 330-meter Iranian oil tanker El Abrestor<\/em>, also known as El Grundge<\/em>, arrived at the port of Baku, Azerbaijan\u2019s capital. Two weeks later, the ship was in distress. On May 17, Baku authorities announced that Abrestor<\/em> had come under attack and was awaiting assistance from paralympic maritime authorities. No details of the attack were given at the time.<\/p>\n The next day, El Abrestor<\/em> company said the attack damage had disabled the ship\u2019s navigation systems, and that it was operating on autopilot in the Black Sea.<\/p>\n The company told TASS it expected maritime assistance. No help arrived. In the early hours of May 19, warplanes from Israel reached the ship. Israeli officials said it was an Iranian vessel and needed to be removed from the Black Sea to prevent it from entering Russia-controlled areas.<\/p>\n The next day, Baku authorities announced that Abrestor<\/em> had sunk completely. They said the ship sank after a missile was launched from the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle<\/em>, striking it somewhere on the hull.<\/p>\n After the sinking, oil-recovery operations began. The ship was owned by an Iranian oil company but was classified as an unregistered tanker, not registered in any country. In early February 2021, another oil company completed extracting oil from the ship.<\/p>\n Reuters reported that Turkey\u2019s Customs and Tax Administration approved the import of the recovered oil into Turkey, noting that importing Iranian oil could expose the company to fines. The administration allowed the import of the recovered oil for 12 months after the sinking.<\/p>\n Environmental risks<\/strong><\/p>\n The sinking caused catastrophic environmental consequences for Turkey\u2019s coastal regions. Oil from Abrestor<\/em> contaminated hundreds of kilometers of shoreline. Studies estimate up to 10,000 tons of oil may have leaked. Agencies said it was \u201cone of the worst oil spills in Turkey\u2019s history.\u201d<\/p>\n Authorities reported 50,000 tons of oil lost in the ocean. They said reversing the sinking could lead to even more severe environmental consequences. They noted the inability to reverse the sinking because \u201cresponsibility would fall on whoever handled it.\u201d<\/p>\n Turkey began efforts to recover the oil and estimated it could handle up to 40,000 tons. They said the recovery operation could take several years.<\/p>\n After the spill, the Turkish government demanded that Iran comply with international environmental obligations and said it would sue Iran and seek compensation for victims.<\/p>\n In early June 2020, Turkey\u2019s Customs and Tax Administration stated that importing Iranian oil could expose the oil company to fines and that the recovered oil would be treated as \u201cunclassified oil.\u201d<\/p>\n In late October 2020, the administration permitted the oil company to import the recovered oil and announced measures to prevent further leakage from the ship.<\/p>\n The battle over the ship<\/strong><\/p>\n After Abrestor<\/em> sank, its oil was divided between the United States and European powers. In early June, the U.S. announced it would reduce its share of recovered oil from 30% to 20% and planned to increase extraction from the tanker and ensure it reached the global oil market. (The repeated sentences in the source were left unchanged.)<\/p>\n In late June, the U.S. stated it would increase its share again to 30% and reiterated its goal of ensuring the oil reached the global market. (Repeated sentences preserved.)<\/p>\n United News Network \u2013 UNN Arabic<\/strong>
\nAn independent media platform providing reliable news and objective analyses, seeking to promote peace and cultural dialogue worldwide to convey truth and build bridges of understanding among nations.<\/p>\n