Iran seizes oil tanker in Persian Gulf

Iran's revolutionary guard seized an oil tanker accused of smuggling about 350,000 liters of fuel, escorting the vessel to shore.

An Eswatini-flagged oil tanker was seized in the Persian Gulf today by court order, according to Heydar Honarian-Mojarrad, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy's Second Region. The vessel, carrying about 350,000 liters of diesel fuel, was escorted to Bushehr port in western Iran.

Honarian-Mojarrad added that the vessel had 13 crew members from India and a neighboring country, which he did not name. Iranian authorities have not yet released the name of the seized tanker, its origin, or its destination.

Iranian speedboats during an event off Bushehr city, Bushehr province in 4/2024. *Photo: IRGC*

This incident follows another seizure a day earlier, when Iran also intercepted two vessels suspected of smuggling about 80,000 liters of fuel near Kish Island. Iranian prosecutors stated that these vessels were modified with additional tanks to transport fuel abroad.

Fuel prices in Iran are among the lowest in the world due to government subsidies, creating a strong incentive for smuggling. For many years, Tehran has conducted campaigns against fuel smuggling to neighboring countries by land and sea, seizing several foreign vessels suspected of involvement.

In early november, the IRGC announced the seizure of the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker Talara in the Gulf. The company managing the Talara later stated that Iran had released the vessel and its 21 crew members.

Fars news agency reported that the seized cargo in a previous incident consisted of Iranian petrochemical products being illegally transported to Singapore, adding that an Iranian citizen or business was primarily responsible for the operation.