/Reuters Agency
Iran confirmed that its Revolutionary Guards had captured an oil tanker in Gulf waters that was carrying a cargo of petrochemical products bound for Singapore, due to alleged violations, according to Iranian state media reports.
A U.S. official and maritime security sources had reported on Friday, November 14th, that Iranian forces intercepted the vessel and diverted it towards Iranian territorial waters.
This was the first report that Tehran had captured a vessel since the Israeli-U.S. attacks against Iran in June.
Iranian state television read a statement from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) which stated that “the oil tanker was in violation for carrying unauthorized cargo.” No further details were provided about the alleged violations.
According to maritime sources, the M/V Talara, flagged to the Marshall Islands, was sailing off the coast of the United Arab Emirates and carrying a cargo of high-sulfur gasoil across the Indian Ocean, bound for Singapore from Sharjah, in the UAE.
The ship’s manager, Columbia Shipmanagement, reported that it lost contact with the Talara on Friday morning, about 20 nautical miles off the coast of Khor Fakkan, UAE.
The company added that it was working closely with relevant parties, including maritime security agencies and the ship’s owner, to reestablish contact. The vessel is owned by Cyprus-based Pasha Finance.
In a statement, the U.S. military said it was aware of the incident and was actively monitoring the situation.
Iran’s IRGC has periodically captured commercial vessels in Gulf waters in recent years, frequently citing maritime violations such as alleged smuggling, technical faults, or legal disputes.
However, a U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, noted that the incident was surprising, as Iran had not conducted operations of this type in recent months.
Iran has reduced its military activities in the region since the 12-day Israeli bombing campaign in June, in which the United States also participated. The last reported capture of a vessel by Iran was in April 2024.
