A Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman that was seized by Iran in 2023.
Iran seizes oil tanker in Gulf of Oman: Iranian media
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- Iran seized an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman on Friday evening, which was carrying a crew of 18 individuals from India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.
- Iranian authorities claimed the vessel was carrying six million liters of smuggled diesel fuel, a move that comes amid heightened tensions following a recent US tanker seizure off Venezuela.
Iran seized an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman carrying a crew of 18 individuals from India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, Fars News Agency reported Friday evening.
Carrying Smuggled Diesel
The agency, quoting an official from Hormozgan province (south), stated, "An oil tanker carrying six million liters of smuggled diesel was intercepted off the coasts of the Sea of Oman."
The official added that "the vessel had disabled all its navigation systems."
Iranian forces regularly announce the seizure of vessels transporting smuggled fuel in the Gulf.
Fuel prices in Iran are among the lowest in the world, which makes its smuggling highly profitable.
Iran had previously detained an oil tanker in the Gulf waters in November for "carrying an unauthorized shipment," ruling out the possibility that it was a counter-measure targeting another country.
Geopolitical Tensions Heightened
The new confiscation comes in a tense geopolitical context, just two days after the United States seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela.
According to Washington, that tanker, the "Skipper," was carrying oil from Venezuela and Iran.
The US Treasury Department had sanctioned the vessel in 2022 over accusations of ties to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
