Iran seizes tanker in the Gulf of Oman on suspicion of fuel smuggling
Iran has reported the seizure of a foreign oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman, which, according to Tehran, was carrying smuggled fuel. This was reported by the semi-official Fars news agency with reference to the head of the judiciary of Hormozgan Province, Mojtaba Ghahremani. The Public writes about it with reference to Bloomberg.
According to him, there were 18 crew members on board the vessel who were detained. The tanker was carrying approximately 6 million litres of fuel, equivalent to about 37,000 barrels. The Iranian side did not disclose the vessel's flag, cargo destination or the exact date of the operation.
Iran regularly detains ships in southern sea waters, explaining that it is fighting large-scale fuel smuggling. In recent years alone, the authorities have repeatedly reported intercepting tankers near the Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant portion of the world's oil supplies pass.
The previous such incident occurred last month, when Iran detained the Talara tanker flying the flag of the Marshall Islands. The vessel was later released, but without its cargo.
The new incident comes amid heightened tensions over Iranian oil trade. A few days ago, the United States intercepted a tanker near Venezuela, which, according to the American version, was connected with the export of Iranian oil. Tehran called Washington's actions state-sponsored piracy and warned of possible consequences, but did not officially confirm a direct link between these events.
