16 Sailors Held After Iran Intercepts Oil Vessel in Persian Gulf
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has seized a foreign-crewed oil tanker in the Gulf. The armed group alleged the tanker was carrying about 4 million liters of smuggled fuel. IRGC naval units intercepted the vessel as it was leaving Iranian territorial waters in the Persian Gulf, and authorities say the cargo was taken on from smaller vessels and intended for illegal sale outside the country.
According to Iranian officials, the tanker’s 16 crew members are all foreign nationals. They have been detained and referred to judicial authorities on suspicion of involvement in fuel smuggling, though Iran has not released information on their nationalities. Officials have also not disclosed the ship’s flag, owner, commercial operator, or intended destination at the time of the seizure.
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Iranian sources have not reported any casualties or damage to the vessel during the operation. There are also no confirmed reports of foreign naval forces intervening in connection with the seizure, and no foreign government has publicly claimed ownership of the tanker.
Iranian authorities describe the fuel on board as contraband moved through a network that uses smaller craft to load larger tankers offshore, taking advantage of Iran’s heavily subsidized domestic fuel prices. Officials present the seizure as part of ongoing efforts to combat large-scale maritime fuel smuggling in the Gulf and surrounding waters.
