(Representative image credit: NYT)(Photo credit: NYT)
Iran has seized an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman saying the vessel was carrying six million litres of diesel fuel and had 18 crew members from India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh on board, as per news agency AFP. Fars news agency cited an official from Iran’s southern Hormozgan province, saying the tanker had disabled all its navigation systems before being intercepted.The operation reflects Iran’s frequent announcements of boarding ships it claims are transporting fuel illegally. Fuel prices in Iran are among the lowest globally, making smuggling highly profitable. Last month, Iranian authorities seized another tanker for carrying what they described as an unauthorised cargo, denying that the move was in retaliation against any foreign country.Iran has a history of targeting commercial vessels in the region. In November, it confirmed the seizure of the Marshall Islands–flagged tanker Talara in the Strait of Hormuz, alleging it carried an “illegal consignment” of petrochemical products en route to Singapore. That operation followed a court order, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stating it was conducted to protect Iran’s national interests. Past incidents include attacks on commercial vessels using limpet mines in 2019, drone strikes in 2021 that killed two crew members, and the seizure of Greek and Portuguese-flagged tankers in 2022 and 2024.The latest seizure comes just two days after the United States took control of a tanker off Venezuela’s coast. Washington said the ship, transporting oil from Venezuela and Iran, was part of a sanctioned oil network supporting Hezbollah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The US Coast Guard carried out the operation by boarding the vessel from a helicopter. President Donald Trump’s administration has been intensifying pressure on Venezuela, including sanctions and naval deployments, citing alleged links between Caracas, Iran, and drug-trafficking networks. The seized tanker, expected to dock in Galveston, Texas, will have its crew released upon arrival, US officials said. Venezuela’s government condemned the action as “blatant theft” and “international piracy,” with President Nicolas Maduro calling it an attack on free trade.The Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz are strategic chokepoints, with about 20% of the world’s oil trade passing through them. Tensions remain high as Tehran continues to assert control over maritime routes, while the US Navy’s Bahrain-based 5th Fleet maintains a presence to safeguard commercial shipping. The interception underscores the ongoing geopolitical contest over energy resources in the region and highlights the risks faced by international crews navigating these waters.
