Tehran, Iran – The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has confirmed Western intelligence experiences that it intercepted a Cyprus-registered tanker that transited by way of the Strait of Hormuz.
The Marhsall Islands-flagged Talara was confiscated on Friday morning whereas carrying 30,000 tonnes of petrochemicals, Iran’s highly effective army and political organisation stated in a press release carried by state media.
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“This operation was carried out efficiently in accordance with authorized duties and for the aim of safeguarding the nationwide pursuits and sources of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and beneath the orders of judicial authorities,” the IRGC stated, alleging that the vessel dedicated a “violation for transporting unauthorised cargo”.
Unnamed officers with the administration of United States President Donald Trump instructed media shops that the IRGC took over the vessel as a number of Western intelligence businesses confirmed the report.
Talara, operated by Cyprus-based Columbia Shipmanagement, had departed a port within the United Arab Emirates for Singapore.
The corporate stated it misplaced contact with the vessel, including it’s working with maritime safety businesses and the vessel proprietor because it prioritises crew security. It stated the cargo was high-sulfur fuel oil, which is, amongst different issues, used as gasoline for marine vessels.
British safety businesses additionally stated they had been monitoring the incident.
The UK Maritime Commerce Operations (UKMTO) recognized the situation of the incident at 20 nautical miles (equal to 37km) east of the Emirati metropolis of Khor Fakkan, and stated “state exercise” was behind it.
Safety company Ambrey stated three small boats approached Talara because it was heading south by way of the Strait of Hormuz, with the ship later deviating from its route within the Gulf of Oman to steer in the direction of Iran.
Flight-tracking knowledge analysed by The Related Press on Friday confirmed a US Navy MQ-4C Triton drone loitering for hours over the world in the course of the seizure.
US Central Command, which oversees Washington’s army deployment within the Center East, Central Asia and components of South Asia, stated in a press release on Friday that it was “conscious of the incident” involving Talara and was “actively monitoring the scenario”.
“Industrial vessels are entitled to largely unimpeded rights of navigation and commerce on the excessive seas,” it stated, with out assigning blame.
That is the primary such interdiction by Iranian forces within the Strait of Hormuz in additional than a 12 months.
In July 2024, the IRGC seized a Togo-flagged, UAE-managed merchandise tanker some 61 nautical miles (113km) southwest of Iran’s port of Bushehr in an operation it stated was carried out primarily based on a judicial order to intercept the vessel “systematically engaged in gasoline smuggling”.
IRGC commandos in April 2024 rappelled down from a helicopter onto the deck of a Portuguese-flagged containership linked with an Israeli billionaire. That incident got here shortly after Israel bombed Iran’s consulate in Syria, killing seven IRGC members, together with two prime generals.
One other Israeli-linked container ship was attacked and damaged by a drone within the Indian Ocean in November 2023, an assault the US blamed on Iran. The US, UK and Israel stated Iran was accountable for a drone assault off the coast of Oman within the Arabian Sea that killed two European crew members in 2021.
In Might 2022, Iran took two Greek tankers and held them until November that 12 months to safe the discharge of an Iranian-flagged tanker seized in Greece because of US sanctions.
Washington additionally accused Iran of orchestrating a string of assaults on business ships within the Strait of Hormuz in 2019, together with utilizing limpet mines, which led to elevated maritime insurance coverage prices and compelled reroutes for some vessels.
The strategic waterway is the place about 20 p.c of the worldwide oil commerce and roughly one-third of world liquefied pure fuel is exported by way of. Tehran has lengthy threatened to close it off in response to rising exterior strain.
All of the maritime incidents occurred after Trump in 2018 unilaterally withdrew from Iran’s 2015 nuclear take care of world powers and imposed stringent sanctions which have solely expanded since.
The US additionally assassinated Iran’s top general Qassem Soleimani in the course of the tenure of the primary Trump administration in 2020, and, along with Israel, bombed Iran’s prime nuclear services throughout a 12-day battle in June.
The seizure of Talara on Friday got here as Iran’s authorities opened an exhibition in Tehran to show quite a lot of missiles, drones and different army capabilities.
The IRGC has been ramping up its efforts to supply extra ballistic missiles and change air defences destroyed in the course of the battle that additionally killed dozens of Iran’s top military commanders and nuclear scientists, amongst greater than 1,000 folks.
