Daijiworld Media Network - Tehran
Tehran, Dec 26: Iran has seized a foreign oil tanker while it was transiting the strategically crucial Strait of Hormuz, with authorities claiming the vessel was carrying a large consignment of smuggled fuel.
According to Iran’s official IRNA news agency, Mojtaba Ghahramani, a provincial chief of the justice department, said Revolutionary Guard naval forces intercepted the tanker carrying around four million litres, or about 25,000 barrels, of illicit fuel. Sixteen foreign crew members onboard the vessel were also detained. However, Iranian officials did not disclose the nationality of the crew or the flag under which the tanker was sailing.
Describing the operation as a major blow to fuel smugglers, Ghahramani said legal proceedings have been initiated against those involved. Iran has frequently seized oil-carrying vessels in the region on similar charges, citing violations related to smuggling or maritime regulations.
In November, Tehran seized another ship while it was passing through the narrow Strait of Hormuz, alleging it was transporting an illegal consignment. The strait, which connects the Persian Gulf to the open seas, is one of the world’s most vital energy corridors.
Western nations have accused Iran of carrying out a series of attacks on commercial vessels in the region in recent years. These include limpet mine attacks on tankers in 2019 and a drone strike on an Israeli-linked oil tanker in 2021 that killed two European crew members. The incidents followed heightened tensions after then US President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal.
Iran had also seized the Portuguese-flagged cargo ship MSC Aries in April 2024, further fuelling concerns over maritime security in the Gulf.
The latest seizure comes against the backdrop of escalating regional tensions, including the recent 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel in June, during which Israeli strikes killed senior Iranian military commanders and nuclear scientists, and Iran’s retaliatory missile attacks reportedly killed 28 people in Israel.
Tehran has repeatedly warned that it could shut down the Strait of Hormuz in response to external pressure. Around 20 per cent of the world’s traded oil passes through the narrow waterway, which is routinely patrolled by the US Navy’s Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet to ensure freedom of navigation.