According to a report by Lianhe Zaobao, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps seized an oil tanker sailing in the Gulf of Oman and directed it towards Iranian territorial waters after it passed through the Strait of Hormuz.
Bloomberg cited a statement from ship management company Columbia Shipmanagement, stating that the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker “Talara” lost contact with the company on Friday (November 14) while sailing about 20 nautical miles east of Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates.
Vanguard Tech, which provides maritime intelligence, stated that the oil tanker was intercepted by the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy.
After the oil tanker lost contact, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, the British Navy’s liaison agency in the region, said the incident is believed to be state action.
A U.S. defense official stated that this is the first such interception in the strategic waterway in months. The official described the move as a violation of international law but declined to elaborate.
Xinhua News Agency cited a statement from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on Saturday (November 15), saying its navy seized a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker on Friday near the Makran coast in the southern Gulf of Oman, citing “violations” by the tanker.
According to a statement released by the Revolutionary Guard’s official news agency, Sepah News, the Rapid Reaction Force of the Revolutionary Guard Navy tracked and seized the oil tanker at 7:30 AM local time (12:00 PM Singapore time) on Friday.
The operation was carried out based on an order from the Iranian judiciary, following the Revolutionary Guard’s monitoring of its movements. The statement said the tanker was carrying 30,000 tons of petrochemical products and its destination was Singapore.
The statement added that after inspecting the tanker, its cargo, and documents, the naval forces confirmed that the vessel “violated relevant regulations” by carrying “unauthorized” cargo. The statement said the operation was conducted to “protect Iran’s national interests and resources.”
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