US Offers Millions in Cash to Adrian Darya 1 Captain

FILE PHOTO: Brian Hook, US Special Representative for Iran, speaks about potential threats posed by the Iranian regime to the international community, during a news conference at a military base in Washington, US, November 29, 2018. REUTERS/Al Drago
FILE PHOTO: Brian Hook, US Special Representative for Iran, speaks about potential threats posed by the Iranian regime to the international community, during a news conference at a military base in Washington, US, November 29, 2018. REUTERS/Al Drago
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US Offers Millions in Cash to Adrian Darya 1 Captain

FILE PHOTO: Brian Hook, US Special Representative for Iran, speaks about potential threats posed by the Iranian regime to the international community, during a news conference at a military base in Washington, US, November 29, 2018. REUTERS/Al Drago
FILE PHOTO: Brian Hook, US Special Representative for Iran, speaks about potential threats posed by the Iranian regime to the international community, during a news conference at a military base in Washington, US, November 29, 2018. REUTERS/Al Drago

Brian Hook, the US special envoy for Iran, personally offered several million dollars to the Indian captain of Iranian oil tanker Adrian Darya 1 that is suspected of heading to Syria, the State Department confirmed Wednesday.

The Financial Times reported that Hook sent emails to captain Akhilesh Kumar in which he offered "good news" of millions in US cash to live comfortably if he steered the tanker to a country where it could be seized.

"We have seen the Financial Times article and can confirm that the details are accurate," a State Department spokeswoman said.

"We have conducted extensive outreach to several ship captains as well as shipping companies warning them of the consequences of providing support to a foreign terrorist organization," she said, referring to Iran's Revolutionary Guards.

The Adrian Darya 1 was held for six weeks by the British overseas territory of Gibraltar on suspicion that it was set to deliver oil from Iran to Syria -- a violation of European Union sanctions on Bashar al-Assad's regime.

Gibraltar released the ship, formerly called the Grace 1, on August 18 over US protests after receiving written assurances that the vessel would not head to countries sanctioned by the EU.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif mocked Hook's initiative as he pointed to the Financial Times story.

"Having failed at piracy, the US resorts to outright blackmail -- deliver us Iran's oil and receive several million dollars or be sanctioned yourself," Zarif tweeted.

State Department chief spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus hit back using Zarif's exact words, accusing Iran of "outright blackmail" with its call for $15 billion from European powers to be paid back from Iran's future oil sales.

Iran says that, if it receives the credit line, it will come back into full compliance with a 2015 nuclear accord from which US President Donald Trump withdrew.

US authorities said that Kumar, 43, took over as captain in Gibraltar. After he apparently did not respond to the US offer, the Treasury Department on Friday imposed sanctions both on the ship and on Kumar himself, freezing any assets he may have in the United States and criminalizing any US financial transactions with him.

The Adrian Daya 1 has been elusive since sailing off from Gibraltar, with monitors reporting that it has been moving in the eastern Mediterranean near Lebanon.



Al Qaeda Affiliate: 200 Soldiers Killed in Attack on Burkina Military Base

FILE - People ride their scooters in the Gounghin district of Ouagadougou, Jan. 26, 2022. (AP Photo/Sophie Garcia, File)
FILE - People ride their scooters in the Gounghin district of Ouagadougou, Jan. 26, 2022. (AP Photo/Sophie Garcia, File)
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Al Qaeda Affiliate: 200 Soldiers Killed in Attack on Burkina Military Base

FILE - People ride their scooters in the Gounghin district of Ouagadougou, Jan. 26, 2022. (AP Photo/Sophie Garcia, File)
FILE - People ride their scooters in the Gounghin district of Ouagadougou, Jan. 26, 2022. (AP Photo/Sophie Garcia, File)

An attack on a Burkina Faso army base killed 200 soldiers, the SITE Intelligence Group quoted Al Qaeda affiliate JNIM as saying on Thursday.

The base in the northern town of Djibo came under attack on Sunday morning, and a police station and market were also targeted, security sources told Reuters.

Although there was no official toll, three Djibo residents told Reuters dozens of soldiers and civilians were killed.

US-based SITE, which tracks online activity of militants, said JNIM made the claim in a formal statement.

"The operation comes amid increased JNIM activity in Burkina Faso over the past month inflicting a high number of casualties," SITE said.

The organization previously said Ousmane Dicko, head of JNIM in Burkina, had appeared in a video urging residents of Djibo to leave the town for their own safety.