Iranian navy boards ‘American oil tanker’ in Gulf of Oman
Iran’s navy has seized “an American oil tanker” in the Gulf of Oman, Iran’s official Islamic Republic News Agency reported, amid rising tension in the waters of the Middle East.
Irna said earlier that the ship had been “stolen by the US”, which “changed its name”.
Private intelligence company Ambrey identified the ship as the Marshall Islands-flagged St Nikolas. It was previously named the Suez Rajan and was at the centre of a dispute between Iran and the US over alleged oil smuggling last year.
Iran seized the ship on Thursday in retaliation for a “violation committed by the Suez Rajan ship … and the theft of Iranian oil by the United States”, Irna reported.
Earlier, the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported “unauthorised persons” in military uniforms had boarded a vessel off Oman. The incident took place 90km east of the Omani port city of Sohar, the UKMTO said on X.
“CSO [the shipping company’s security officer] reports hearing unknown voices over the phone along with the master’s voice,” said the agency. “Unable to make further contact with the vessel at this time.”
Ambrey said men covered surveillance cameras as they boarded the vessel in waters between Iran and Oman. A representative told Reuters the vessel had a crew of 19 – one from Greece and 18 from the Philippines – and was carrying 131,000 tonnes of oil from Basra, in southern Iraq, to Aliaga, in western Turkey.
They confirmed reports that communication with the vessel had been lost.
The ship had also “altered course towards Iranian waters”, the UKMTO said.
When the vessel was named the Suez Rajan, it was associated with Greek shipping company Empire Navigation.
Before it was bought by Empire Navigation, the Suez Rajan was owned by Los Angeles-based private equity firm Oaktree Capital Management.
In February 2022, the group United Against Nuclear Iran said it that suspected the Suez Rajan had carried oil from Iran’s Kharg Island, its main
distribution terminal in the Gulf. The US accused Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of attempting to bypass sanctions by selling Iranian crude oil to China using the Suez Rajan.
In April last year, the US seized the ship, which was carrying more than 980,000 barrels of Iranian crude oil.
Days later, Iran seized two tankers in the Gulf – the Advantage Sweet and the Niovi – as tensions soared.
The Suez Rajan was unable to unload the Iranian crude for nearly two and a half months while in Singapore, over fears of secondary sanctions on vessels used to unload it.
After several months, it travelled to the US, where the seized oil was transferred to another vessel off the coast of Texas, reportedly into the control of American authorities.
The ship was renamed the St Nikolas after eventually unloading its cargo.
In September, Empire Navigation pleaded guilty to smuggling sanctioned Iranian crude oil and agreed to pay a $2.4 million fine over a case involving the tanker.
The incident comes amid heightened tensions in Middle Eastern waters following repeated attacks on ships in the Red Sea by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, a group that claims to be targeting vessels linked to Israel in retaliation for its war in Gaza.
Iran has been accused of directing the attacks in a bid to undermine Israel.
On Wednesday, UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said he had “no doubt whatsoever” that “the Iranians are heavily behind what the Houthis are doing” in the Red Sea.
The Houthis are holding the crew of the Galaxy Leader, a Japanese-operated cargo ship with links to an Israeli company, which the group seized on November 19.
Iran has increasingly resorted to vessel seizures to increase political pressure on rival nations since the collapse of the 2015 nuclear deal.
In August, ships transiting the key Strait of Hormuz were warned against straying into Iranian waters due to the “high risk” of seizure. Iranian attacks have prompted the US to strengthen its naval presence in the region, sending its first drone boats into the Strait of Hormuz in April.
The US has also established a multinational maritime task force, known as Operation Prosperity Guardian, to protect shipping in the Red Sea, in addition to several other task forces it has in the region.
The US Fifth Fleet is also based in Bahrain.