Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Iran A Panamanian-flagged oil tanker was seized in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, the second such seizure by Tehran in recent days, the US Navy said. The Navy’s Middle East-based 5th Fleet has identified the ship as NeoV. It said Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guards seized the ship.
The Navy released pictures of a dozen guard ships surrounding the tanker. The ships “forced the oil tanker to capsize and head into Iran’s territorial waters off the coast of Iran’s Bandar Abbas,” the navy said.
“Iran’s actions are contrary to international law and detrimental to regional security and stability,” the 5th Fleet said in a statement. “Continued harassment of Iranian vessels and interference with navigational rights in territorial waters is unjustified, irresponsible and a present threat to maritime security and the global economy.”
US Navy via AP
Iran did not immediately acknowledge the detention.
Iran last week Seized an oil tanker carrying crude oil for Chevron Amid growing tension between Tehran and the US over its nuclear program. There were 23 Indians and one Russian on board the Advantage suite.
Wednesday’s seizure by Iran was the latest in a string of ship seizures and explosions to roil the region.
Ap
The events began after then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers, which saw Tehran severely limit its uranium enrichment in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.
In addition, the US Navy has blamed Iran for a series of limpet mine attacks on ships that damaged tankers in 2019, as well as a deadly drone attack on an Israel-linked oil tanker in 2021 that killed two European crew members.
Tehran denied carrying out the attack, but a larger shadow war between Iran and the West played out in the region’s volatile waters. The seizure of Iranian tankers since 2019 is part of this. The last major seizure came in recent days when Iran seized two Greek tankers in May and held them until November.
Iran: Crisis in the Middle East
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