Iran Confirms IRGC Seizure of Tanker in Gulf Waters Over Alleged Cargo Violations

Reuters

An oil tanker passes through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran confirmed on Saturday that its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had seized a tanker in Gulf waters for carrying an unauthorised cargo of petrochemicals bound for Singapore, Iranian state media reported.

The confirmation came a day after a U.S. official and maritime security sources said Iranian forces had intercepted the vessel and diverted it into Iranian territorial waters. It is the first reported tanker seizure by Tehran since the Israeli-U.S. strikes on Iran in June.

State-run Iranian television quoted an IRGC statement saying that “the tanker was in violation for carrying unauthorised cargo,” though no further details about the alleged infractions were provided.

The tanker, Talara, sails under the Marshall Islands flag and had been operating off the United Arab Emirates’ coast, according to maritime sources. It was transporting a cargo of high-sulphur gasoil through the Indian Ocean on its way to Singapore from Sharjah in the UAE.

Columbia Shipmanagement, the vessel’s manager, said it lost contact with the Talara on Friday morning approximately 20 nautical miles off the coast of Khor Fakkan. The company said it was working closely with relevant authorities, including maritime security agencies and the ship’s owner, Pasha Finance of Cyprus, to re-establish communication.

The U.S. military said it was aware of the incident and was “actively monitoring” the situation.

In recent years, the IRGC has seized several commercial vessels in Gulf waters, often citing alleged smuggling, technical violations or legal disputes. However, the U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the latest incident as unexpected, noting that Iran had not carried out similar operations in recent months.

Iran has reportedly scaled back its military activities in the region since the 12-day Israeli bombing campaign in June, which the United States also joined. The last reported Iranian seizure of a vessel occurred in April 2024.

Source: Reuters



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