Iran’s Revolutionary Guards confirmed on Saturday that they had taken control of a tanker in the Gulf carrying petrochemicals bound for Singapore due to alleged violations, as reported by Iranian state media. A U.S. official and maritime security sources stated that Iranian forces intercepted the oil products tanker on Friday and redirected it into Iranian territorial waters. This incident marked the first tanker seizure by Tehran since Israeli-U.S. strikes on Iran back in June.
According to Iranian state television, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that the tanker was found to be in violation for transporting unauthorized cargo, without specifying the nature of the violations. The Marshall Islands-flagged vessel, named the Talara, was sailing near the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) and was carrying high-sulfur gas oil from Sharjah in the U.A.E. to Singapore through the Indian Ocean.
The vessel’s manager, Columbia Shipmanagement, reported losing contact with the Talara on Friday morning about 20 nautical miles off the coast of Khor Fakkan, U.A.E. They assured they were collaborating with relevant parties, including maritime security agencies and the vessel’s owner, to reestablish communication. The ship is owned by Pasha Finance, a company based in Cyprus.
The U.S. military issued a statement acknowledging the incident and mentioned that they were actively monitoring the situation. The IRGC of Iran has a history of sporadically seizing commercial ships in the Gulf, citing various maritime violations, such as smuggling, technical infractions, or legal disputes. Despite this, a U.S. official, speaking anonymously, expressed surprise at the recent seizure, noting that Iran had refrained from such actions in recent months.
Following the Israeli-U.S. military campaign in June, Iran has reduced its military activities in the region, with no reported ship seizures until this incident. The last known vessel seizure by Iran was in April 2024.
