US plans to seize Venezuelan oil tanker off Irish coast

Matthew Savill, director of military sciences at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), said the build-up could hint towards several potential missions. The defence expert said it could range from building up forces for a potential operation in the Middle East or Africa, to preparing a mission to board the Bella 1. He added: “But it could be a cunning misdirection. When they launched Midnight Hammer (to strike Iranian nuclear facilities) they had one thing tracking with transponders on. “It’s not implausible that while we’re all watching that, there’s something flying around over there that we’re not seeing.”