Iran has seized a foreign oil tanker for the second time in a week. The US sees this approach as “harassment of ships” and even a violation of international law.
A flotilla of high-speed boats from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGCN) navy captured the Panamanian-flagged Greek “Niovi” in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, the US military said. The tanker was traveling empty from Dubai to Fujairah, another port in the United Arab Emirates.
“A dozen IRGCN fast attack craft swarmed over the ship in the middle of the strait,” said a statement from the U.S. Fifth Fleet, based in Bahrain. The Revolutionary Guards then forced the tanker to change course and enter Iranian territorial waters, it said. According to the Iranian judicial website Misan, Iran seized the ship “by order of the judiciary”.
United States finds violation of international law
The US demanded the ship’s immediate release. “Iran’s harassment of ships and interference with freedom of navigation in regional and international waters” violates international law and disrupts stability and security in the region, State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said.
A Greek Coast Guard spokeswoman told AFP news agency there were about 30 people on the ship, including a Greek captain and crew members from the Philippines and Sri Lanka.
Marine units rappel from helicopters to tankers
Similar incidents have occurred in the region since 2018. On Thursday, Iranian naval units lowered themselves from helicopters onto the deck of an oil tanker flying the flag of the Marshall Islands. The ship was brought to the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, according to the website Tankertrackers.com.
Maritime security firm Ambrey said the seizure of the two vessels followed the US capture of a Greek tanker carrying Iranian oil. In the past, Iran has retaliated against seizing Iranian oil resources. The US sanctions against Iran are mainly aimed at the country’s oil sales.
Source: Krone
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