Iran’s navy seized an oil tanker as it traversed international waters in the Gulf of Oman, the US announced Thursday, the fifth such incident in recent years.
The US Navy’s 5th Fleet identified the captured vessel as the Marshall Islands-flagged Advantage Sweet, which issued a distress call during the incident.
The Navy statement made no mention of the tanker’s destination, but data from MarineTraffic.com showed it in the Gulf of Oman just north of Oman’s capital, Muscat, on Thursday afternoon local time.
It had just come from Kuwait and its destination was listed as Houston, Texas.
US Navy’s 5th Fleet
“Iran’s actions are contrary to international law and disruptive to regional security and stability. The Iranian government should immediately release the oil tanker."
US Navy’s 5th Fleet
“Iran’s continued harassment of vessels and interference with navigational rights in regional waters are a threat to maritime security and the global economy.”
US Navy’s 5th Fleet
“In the past two years, Iran has unlawfully seized at least five commercial vessels sailing in the Middle East.”
Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency said the seizure came after an “unknown ship collided with an Iranian vessel last night in the Persian Gulf, causing several Iranian crew members to go missing and get injured.” It did not identify the other ship involved in the alleged collision.
Iran has made allegations in other seizures that later fell apart as it became clear that Tehran was trying to leverage the capture as a chip to negotiate with foreign nations.
The vessel’s manager, a Turkish firm called Advantage Tankers, issued a statement acknowledging the Advantage Sweet was “being escorted by the Iranian navy to a port on the basis of an international dispute.”
Advantage Tankers
“The safety and welfare of our valued crew members is our No. 1 priority. Similar experiences show that crew members of vessels taken under such circumstances are in no danger.”
Manifest information from data firm Refinitiv showed that Advantage Sweet carried Kuwaiti crude oil for Chevon, which did not have an immediate comment.
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