Iran seizes oil tanker in Gulf of Oman with 18 crew aboard

Iran has seized an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman, officials said, with 18 crew members from India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh on board.

The vessel, reportedly carrying six million litres of contraband diesel fuel, had its navigation systems disabled when Iranian forces intercepted it off the coast of Hormozgan province.

Iran frequently announces the seizure of ships it claims are transporting fuel illegally, citing the country’s low retail fuel prices, which make smuggling highly profitable.

This latest interception follows a similar operation last month, when Iran detained a tanker for carrying an unauthorized cargo.

The move comes just two days after the United States seized an oil tanker near Venezuela, a ship accused of transporting oil from both Venezuela and Iran. The US has sanctioned Venezuela for alleged ties to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and Hezbollah.