Iran Seizes Oil Tanker in Gulf, U.S. Navy Says

On Thursday, in international waters located in the Gulf of Oman, the Islamic Republic of Iran captured and detained an oil tanker which was bearing the flag of the Marshall Islands. The United States of America was made aware of this incident.

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According to a statement issued by the Navy, the present incident marks the most recent occurrence in a succession of seizures or assaults targeting commercial vessels in the strategically significant waters of the Gulf region since 2019.

According to reports from Iranian state media, the army of Iran has purportedly taken control of an oil tanker with a Marshall Islands flag in the Gulf of Oman following a collision with an Iranian vessel which resulted in injuries sustained by multiple crew members.

"Two members of the boat's crew are missing and several were injured due to the collision of the ship with the boat," an army statement said.

The U.S. Navy has designated the identified watercraft as the Advantage Sweet. The statement is based on Refinitiv ship tracking data, which indicates that a Suezmax crude tanker was leased by Chevron, a major oil corporation, and had previously docked in Kuwait.

Chevron acknowledges its awareness of the predicament associated with the Advantage Sweet and reports having initiated communication with the vessel operator, aiming to expediently resolve this matter, as per a company spokesperson.

The destination of the vessel was reported as the United States. According to ship tracking data, the port of Houston, located in the Gulf of Mexico was identified.

The entity responsible for the management of the aforementioned operation has been identified as Genel Denizcilik Nakliyati AS. The company established in Turkey refrained from providing an immediate response to a request for comment.

The Marshall Islands Maritime Administrator has acknowledged the current situation and reported ongoing communication with the entity responsible for the vessel's ownership and operation. However, the Administrator has declined to provide any further comments.

"Iran's continued harassment of vessels and interference with navigational rights in regional waters are a threat to maritime security and the global economy," the U.S. Navy said, adding Iran has in the past two years unlawfully seized at least five commercial vessels in the Middle East.

The U.S. Navy added that after sending a P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft to monitor the situation, "we have since been able to determine the IRIN (Iranian navy) conducted the seizure".