The IRGC detained two tankers in the Persian Gulf on suspicion of fuel smuggling.
On 5 February, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy detained two oil tankers with foreign crews in the Persian Gulf. This was reported by the Iranian agency Tasnim. According to the Iranian side, the ships were carrying more than one million litres of fuel, which is considered contraband.
A total of 15 crew members from both tankers were handed over to Iranian law enforcement agencies. They are expected to face trial. Information about the sailors' nationalities and the flags under which the ships were sailing is not currently being disclosed.
Iran regularly reports the detention of tankers accused of illegal fuel trading in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. This sea route is one of the world's key routes for the transport of oil and liquefied natural gas. About 20 per cent of the world's oil exports pass through it.
Experts note that Iran's fuel prices, which are among the lowest in the world, create favourable conditions for smuggling to neighbouring countries. This makes combating the illegal export of petroleum products a constant priority for Iranian security forces.
Tensions in the region escalated after Reuters and The Wall Street Journal reported on an incident on 3 February, when Iranian boats approached the US-flagged tanker Stena Imperative in the Strait of Hormuz. The vessel was ordered to stop, but it continued on its way and was later escorted by a US military ship. Earlier, IRGC representatives also announced the possibility of blocking the Strait of Hormuz in the event of an escalation of the conflict with the United States.
