Iran seizes one oil tanker, chased away from two

Sopuruchi Onwuka

It has been a busy week for the United States Navy in the Persian Gulf where it was struggling to ward off relentless Iranian forces from disrupting flow of merchant vessels ferrying commodities through the Strait of Hormuz.

At last the Iranians with a pile of court papers to arrest errant ships were able to capture a Tanzania flagged vessel suspected to be laden with oil cargo of questionable sources.

After being chased away from two vessels by the Unites States Navy earlier in the middle of the week, the Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced that it seized an oil tanker holding 900 metric tons of fuel and also took custody of the 12 crew members.

Iran’s Fars news agency stated on Thursday that the seizure of the vessel was ordered by a court on the suspicion that the vessel was carrying smuggled fuel.

Heavy energy subsidies and weak local currency mean that Iran has some of the world’s cheapest fuel prices, and the revolutionary guards has been fighting rampant fuel smuggling by land to neighbouring countries and by sea to Gulf Arab states.

British maritime security company Ambrey confirmed manouvres by the Iranian forces to seize a small Tanzanian flagged tanker some 59 nautical miles northeast of the Saudi Arabian port city of Dammam; the company added that “Iran regularly intercepts smaller tankers it suspects of smuggling oil.”

U.S. Navy spokesperson also declared that Iran’s Revolutionary Guards “forcibly seized” a commercial ship in international waters in the Gulf on Thursday, adding that the vessel was possibly involved in smuggling.

The spokesperson of the U.S. 5th Fleet Commander, Tim Hawkins, said the U.S. Navy had monitored the situation and decided not to make any further response.

Earlier on Wednesday, the U.S. Navy had said that it intervened to prevent Iran from seizing two other commercial tankers in the Gulf of Oman.

In a statement, the U.S. Navy narrated that an Iranian naval vessel had approached the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker TRF Moss at 0100 local time (2100 GMT) in international waters in the Gulf of Oman.

“The Iranian vessel departed the scene when U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul arrived on station,” the statement said, adding that the Navy had deployed surveillance assets including maritime patrol aircraft.

The Navy said that around three hours later it received another distress call from Bahamas-flagged oil tanker Richmond Voyager while the ship was more than 20 miles (32 km) off the coast of Muscat, Oman, and transiting international waters.

“Another Iranian naval vessel had closed within one mile of Richmond Voyager while hailing the commercial tanker to stop,” the Navy statement said, adding that the McFaul directed course towards the merchant ship at maximum speed.

“Prior to McFaul’s arrival on scene, Iranian personnel fired multiple, long bursts from both small arms and crew-served weapons,” the Navy said.

“Richmond Voyager sustained no casualties or significant damage. However, several rounds hit the ship’s hull near crew living spaces. The Iranian navy vessel departed when McFaul arrived.”

U.S. oil major Chevron confirmed that it managed the Richmond Voyager, adding that crew onboard were safe and the vessel was operating normally.

Iran’s forces said on Thursday it had a court order to seize Richmond Voyager following complaints that the Chevron chattered vessesl collided with an Iranian vessel.

Refinitiv ship-tracking data shows the Richmond Voyager previously docked in Ras Tannoura in eastern Saudi Arabia before Wednesday’s incident in the Gulf of Oman.

The Richmond Voyager has left the Gulf with Singapore listed as its destination, Refinitiv ship tracking showed.

Tehran seized two other tankers in May including the Marshall Islands flagged Advantage Sweet, which had been chartered by Chevron.

About a fifth of the world’s supply of seaborne crude oil and oil products passes through the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint between Iran and Oman, according to data from analytics firm Vortexa.

Iran appears to be on disruptive operation in the Gulf waters in retaliation after the U.S. confiscated a cargo of Iranian oil aboard a tanker in April to enforce existing trade sanction on the country.

That vessel, the Marshall Islands-flagged Suez Rajan, is anchored outside the U.S. Gulf of Mexico terminal of Galveston waiting to discharge its cargo, according to Refinitiv ship tracking.

Since 2019, there has been a series of attacks on shipping in strategic Gulf waters at times of tension between the United States and Iran.

Top ship registries including the Marshall Islands and Greece have warned in recent weeks of the threat to commercial shipping in the Gulf including the Strait of Hormuz.

The U.S. Navy said “Iran has harassed, attacked or seized nearly 20 internationally flagged merchant vessels” since 2021.

“U.S. forces remain vigilant and ready to protect navigational rights of lawful maritime traffic in the Middle East’s critical waters,” Hawkins said.

“The United States will respond to Iranian aggression together with our global allies and our partners in the Middle East region to ensure the freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and other vital waterways,” a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council said.

Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, cited “the exceptional effort by the McFaul crew for immediately responding and preventing another seizure.”