File image.
On April 27, the Iranian army confirmed that its naval forces had seized a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman.
In a statement, the public relations department of the army said that the tanker collided with an Iranian vessel overnight on April 26 in the Persian Gulf waters, injuring some Iranian crew members with at least two still missing.
The tanker, according to the statement, escaped from the scene “in violation of international maritime laws and regulations” that required it to tend to the injured Iranian crew, who later managed to send a distress call. Iranian naval forces, deployed to Chabahar Port in southern Iran on a Center for International Maritime Security mission, intercepted and seized the tanker after having been contacted by the Maritime Surveillance and Rescue Center.
The tanker was seized by Bayandor corvette of Iran’s Navy in compliance with a confiscation order issued by Iranian judicial authorities, the army added in its statement.
Earlier, the United States Naval Forces Central Command said that a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker was seized by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy while transiting international waters in the Gulf of Oman, identifying it as the Advantage Sweet.
“Iran’s actions are contrary to international law and disruptive to regional security and stability,” the command said in a statement. “Iran should immediately release the oil tanker.”
Satellite tracking data of Advantage Sweet from MarineTraffic.com showed the Texas-bound tanker docked in the Gulf of Oman north of the Omani capital, Muscat, on April 27 after it had come from Kuwait.
The incident came amid high tensions between American and Iranian forces in the Persian Gulf. Yet, Iran’s statement indicates that the tanker was not seized for political reasons. The U.S. will likely use the incident politically to pressure Tehran. However, it will not likely escalate militarily.
MORE ON THIS TOPIC:
- Shadowy Pro-Iran Group Warns Of Nearing Israeli Attack Through Iraqi Airspace
- Iran Revolutionary Guard Seized Marshall Islands-Flagged Oil Tanker: U.S. Navy
