Iran seizes oil tanker in Strait of Hormuz

Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has seized a commercial oil tanker in the Gulf near the Strait of Hormuz. According to the AP report, Tehran confirmed on Saturday (November 15) that it had taken control of the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker. The tanker was seized off Iran's coast. The day before, various international security agencies had reported that a commercial tanker had been seized off the coast of Iran.

An IRGC statement said that at around 7:30 am local time on Friday (November 14), judicial authorities ordered the seizure of the cargo of the tanker named 'Talara'. Later, an IRGC naval unit monitored the tanker's movements and took control of it. The statement also noted that the ship violated the law by carrying goods without authorization. The tanker was heading for Singapore with about 30,000 tons of petrochemical products.

The ship was heading south through the Strait of Hormuz after setting off from Ajman in the United Arab Emirates, according to the maritime security agency Ambri. At that time, three small boats approached the tanker and forced it to change course. Meanwhile, the US Navy, which is stationed in the area, said it was closely monitoring the situation. The US Fifth Fleet said that commercial ships and tankers usually travel without hindrance in international waters.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the most important routes for transporting oil and LNG worldwide. Such incidents have occurred in the region before. Last year, Tehran seized a container ship from here in response to allegations of an Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria. At the time, Iran claimed that the ship had Israeli contacts.