Iranian navy briefly seizes oil tanker near Strait of Hormuz

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The Iranian navy boarded and briefly seized a Liberian-flagged oil tanker near the strategic Strait of Hormuz amid heightened tensions between Tehran and the U.S., the American military said Thursday.

The U.S. military’s Central Command published a black-and-white video showing what appeared to be special forces fast-roping down from a helicopter onto the MT Wila, whose last position appeared to be off the eastern coast of the United Arab Emirates near the city of Khorfakkan.

The Iranian navy held the vessel for some five hours before releasing it Wednesday, said a U.S. military official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet made public. The Wila made no distress calls before, during and after the seizure, the official said.

The Iranian helicopter involved appeared to be a Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King, which only Iran’s navy operates. The Iranian navy also handles all operations in the Gulf of Oman on the eastern side of the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 percent of all oil traded passes. Two other Iranian naval vessels took part in the seizure, Central Command said.

The International Maritime Security Construct, which is a U.s.-created maritime group to protect Persian Gulf waterways, called the Iranian boarding “a blatant violation of international law that undermines freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce.” It said one of its vessels “monitored the incident” but did not intervene.