U.S. Eyes 18th-Century Law to Seize and Sell Iranian Oil
The US government is exploring an unusual legal route for dealing with Iranian oil and ships captured as part of its blockade: bringing back a wartime maritime system that has barely been used for generations, according to Bloomberg. The Justice Department, working with the Pentagon, is preparing to
Source: OilPrice.com
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DW NOTE
The U.S. is reportedly considering the Alien Enemy Act of 1798 to seize Iranian oil cargoes and sell them. This is the same statute used to intern Japanese-Americans in 1942 — a power so broad it requires no congressional vote and no judicial review. If Washington can liquidate a sovereign state's exports by executive order, every cargo on the water is conditional property.