528 Chapter 5
Participants: 630 Iran/210 Netherlands
Outcome (and Settlement): Unclear (None)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: Iran seized a Dutch tug Amsterdam in November 1985 and accused the
crew of spying on its government. Less than two months later Iran attacked a Dutch-
flagged maintenance ship, killing one Australian crew member.
Coding changes: Start Date changed from November 20, 1985.
210 NETHERLANDS/645 IRAQ
MID#3957
Started in May 1990. See the narrative in the 645 Iraq/690 Kuwait dyad dispute
list.
MID#4273
Started in October 1997. See the narrative in the 2 United States of America/645 Iraq dyad
dispute list.
211 BELGIUM/630 IRAN
MID#2544
Dispute Number: 2544
Date(s): August 18, 1985
Participants: 630 Iran/211 Belgium
Outcome (and Settlement): Unclear (None)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: On August 19, 1985, an Iranian Hercules plane overflew a Belgian tanker
two or three times. The tanker was headed south of the Gulf of Oman in the Arabian
Sea to deliver 220,000 barrels of aviation fuel for the US Sealift Command. An hour
after the Iranian plane flew over the tanker, it attacked with a bomb. The rocket did
not explode and a US bomb expert had to board the vessel and defuse it, before Qatar
authorities would allow it to enter the Doha harbor.
Coding changes: Start Date changed from July 19, 1985. End Date changed from
July 19, 1985.
211 BELGIUM/645 IRAQ
MID#3957
Started in May 1990. See the narrative in the 645 Iraq/690 Kuwait dyad dispute
list.