Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has confirmed the seizure of the Marshall Islands‑flagged oil tanker Talara off its southern Makran coast following a judicial order, according to Mehr News Agency.
The IRGC Navy said its rapid reaction units had intercepted the vessel at around 7:30 on Friday morning local time after a court had instructed the seizure of the tanker’s cargo.
The tanker was carrying 30 000 tonnes of petrochemical products and was reportedly en route to Singapore, according to the IRGC’s Press TV channel.
The IRGC explained that the operation had been “carried out in line with legal duties … for the protection of the national interests and resources of the Islamic Republic of Iran” (Mehr News Agency).
The force added that it had conducted a full inspection of the vessel, its documents and cargo, confirming suspicions that the tanker had been transporting “unauthorised goods”, Mehr reported.
According to various Iranian media sources, the Talara was intercepted “off the southern coast of Makran”. Security analysts reported that three small boats had approached the tanker in the Strait of Hormuz before it changed course.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre described the event as possible “state activity”, approximately 20 nautical miles east of Khor Fakkan in the United Arab Emirates.
The vessel had reportedly departed from Ajman, UAE, before being intercepted.
The tanker is managed by Columbia Shipmanagement of Cyprus, which confirmed losing contact with the vessel just before the time of seizure, as confirmed by the IRGC.
Several Western media sources have reported that the IRGC is framing the seizure both as a legal operation under a court order and as a sovereignty measure to safeguard Iranian national interests, particularly regarding resources.
Media outlets emphasise that the IRGC has specifically alleged the cargo was “unauthorised”, suggesting this could be more than a purely security-driven operation.
There is no independent verification of the IRGC’s claims regarding ownership of the cargo, and Iran has not yet disclosed the fate of the crew or whether any criminal proceedings will follow.
US Central Command has said it is “aware of the incident” and is monitoring the situation.
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