WW3 fears explode as Russia sends submarine to escort 'Axis of Evil' tanker

 Concerns over growing global tensions have risen after reports that Russia has deployed a submarine and other naval vessels to escort an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, the Wall Street Journal reports.

The empty and aging oil tanker, formerly known as the Bella 1, has been trying to evade a US blocade of sanctioned tankers near the South American country for over two weeks.

The tanker, rebranded as the Marinera, is accused of being part of the "shadow fleet", a group of boats that illegally ship oil, the Sun reported.

The vessel failed to dock and load oil in Venezuela.

The US Coast Guard's pursuit of the ship into the Atlantic is part of a crack down on the global illicit oil trade, including black-market oil sold by Russia, the WSJ reported.