On Thursday, a US oil tanker, previously caught in a regional standoff between Iran and US, was reportedly boarded by a group of armed individuals off the coast of Oman and appeared to have changed course toward Iran.
Iran’s naval forces on Thursday detained a US oil tanker in the waters of the Gulf of Oman, Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported. According to Tasnim, the tanker was detained by court order.
The vessel was once involved in a dispute with the US Justice Department that saw a million barrels of Iranian crude oil seized.
UKTMO (United Kingdom Marine Trade Operations), which provides warnings to sailors in the Middle East, previously reported "of vessel being boarded by 4-5 armed unauthorized persons" who are "wearing military style black uniforms with black masks".
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Iran seized a tanker with Iraqi crude destined for Turkey on Thursday in what appeared to be a retaliation for the seizure last year of the same vessel by Tehran’s arch foe the United States, Iranian media reported.
ReplyDeleteThe Marshall Islands-flagged tanker St Nikolas, which last year was confiscated by the United States for carrying Iranian oil, was boarded by armed intruders as it sailed close to the Omani city of Sohar, according to British maritime security firm Ambrey, and its AIS tracking system was turned off as it headed in the direction of the Iranian port of Bandar-e-Jask.
Following the seizure of the vessel last year, Iran warned the US that “it will not go unanswered.”
Iran has seized a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman, state media reports.
ReplyDeleteArmed men wearing masks have reportedly boarded the vessel St Nikolas, close to the Omani port of Sohar, and ordered it to sail to an Iranian port.
It is unclear why the tanker has been targeted.
The St Nikolas was in transit between the Iraqi port of Basra and its intended destination in Turkey.