Iran said it seized a foreign oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman it suspects of carrying smuggled fuel, the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Saturday, citing the chief justice of the southern Hormozgan Province.
Mojtaba Ghahremani said 18 crew members have been detained and the vessel was carrying about 6 million litres of fuel, roughly 37,000 barrels. He did not specify the cargo’s destination, nationality or when the seizure occurred.
The incident follows Iran’s interception last month of the Talara, a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker that had passed through the Strait of Hormuz. That vessel was released days later without its cargo, according to its manager.
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Iranian authorities frequently detain ships in southern waters as part of efforts to curb fuel smuggling. The latest seizure did not immediately appear to be retaliatory or targeted.
It also comes just days after the US intercepted a tanker off Venezuela allegedly linked to Iran’s oil trade.
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Tehran has not confirmed any connection between the cases, but a spokesman for Iran’s foreign ministry on Thursday described the US action as “state piracy” and warned of potential consequences.