Tehran, 3 May 2023 (GNP): Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, a paramilitary organization, seizes a Panamanian-flagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday.
This is the second time in less than a week that Iran has seized a tanker, and it has raised concerns about the safety of maritime traffic in the strait, which is a crucial passageway for a fifth of the world’s crude oil.
Additionally, there are reports that a crude oil tanker carrying Iranian oil has gone missing in southeast Asia and may have been seized by the United States. All of these events are occurring amid heightened tensions over Iran’s nuclear program.
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According to the US Navy, and Iranian Revolutionary Guard, ships compelled the oil tanker to change its direction and head towards Iranian territorial waters near Bandar Abbas.
The 5th Fleet issued a statement saying that Iran’s actions violate international law and create instability in the region.
They added that Iran’s continued interference with ships and navigation in the region is irresponsible, unwarranted, and poses a threat to global economic and maritime security.
Iran’s state-run news agency, IRNA, confirmed that the IRGC had captured the vessel but did not provide any additional information. Tehran prosecutor, according to the Mizan news agency, stated that the seizure was carried out based on a judicial order following a complaint by a plaintiff.
The IRGC did not confirm the identity of the vessel or the reason behavior at the time of the report. As part of the ongoing tensions between Iran and the United States over Iran’s nuclear program, Iran captured an oil tanker that was transporting crude for Chevron Corp, a company based in San Ramon, California. The ship called the Advantage Sweet, had a crew consisting of 23 Indians and one Russian.
The U.S. Navy has accused Iran of being responsible for aseverallimpet mine attacks on ships in 2019, which caused damage to tankers. The Navy has also attributed a deadly drone attack on an oil tanker linked to Israel in 2021, which resulted in the deaths of two European crew members, to Iran.
