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3w ago

Iran’s Guards Seize Two Foreign-Crewed Tankers Near Farsi Island, Detain 15

The timing precedes planned U.S.–Iran talks in Oman, sharpening tensions over the Strait of Hormuz.

USHEHR, IRAN - APRIL 29: Iran celebrates the anniversary of the liberation of the country's south from Portuguese occupation in 1622, as 'Persian Gulf National Day' in Bushehr on April 29, 2024. Military and civilian officials, along with guests and journalists, attended an event held on a navy vessel off the coast of the city of Bushehr, located on the shores of the Persian Gulf in the south of the country. As part of the event, Iranian warships and armed speedboats conducted maneuvers in the Persian Gulf. (Photo by Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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A picture obtained by AFP from the Iranian news agency Tasnim on Jan. 4, 2021, shows the South Korean-flagged tanker being escorted by the IRGC navy after being seized in the Gulf.
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Overview

  • Iran’s IRGC Navy says the vessels carried about 1 million liters of fuel, including diesel, and were intercepted near Farsi Island before being transferred to Bushehr.
  • Fifteen foreign crew members were taken into custody and referred to judicial authorities, with officials withholding the ships’ flags and crew nationalities.
  • State-linked outlets said the ships were part of a fuel-smuggling network that had operated for months and was identified through intelligence monitoring.
  • Former minister Ezzatollah Zarghami escalated rhetoric by declaring the Strait of Hormuz would be a “place of massacre and hell” for the U.S.
  • The seizures cap a week that included IRGC run-ins with a U.S.-flagged tanker and a U.S. shoot-down of an Iranian drone, adding diplomatic risk ahead of the Oman talks.