The US Navy said that Iran’s Revolutionary Guards seized a commercial ship in the Gulf, media reports said. This incident occurred just a day after the US accused Iranian forces of two similar attempts off Oman.
Such incidents have become more frequent since 2018, when former US President Donald Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal and imposed severe sanctions on Iran, leading to heightened tensions. While talks to revive the accord have resumed with Oman’s mediation, progress has been slow.
The Fifth Fleet of the US Navy, based in Bahrain, stated that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had “forcibly” taken control of a commercial vessel suspected of being involved in smuggling activities. The US forces monitored the situation in international waters but decided that no further action was necessary.
The statement released by the US Navy did not provide details about the specific commercial ship involved.
However, it emphasised that US forces are committed to safeguarding the rights of lawful maritime traffic in the crucial waters of the Middle East.
In recent years, both Washington and Tehran have exchanged accusations regarding a series of incidents in the tense Gulf region, which plays a significant role in global oil trade.
Previous attempts
A day before, the US Navy said that it had prevented two attempts by the Iranian navy to seize commercial tankers in international waters near Oman.
In one instance, the Iranians even fired shots. However, in both cases, the presence of a US destroyer prompted the Iranians to retreat.
According to Iran’s maritime services, one of the tankers involved, the Bahamian-flagged Richmond Voyager, had collided with an Iranian vessel, resulting in serious injuries to five crew members and causing damage and flooding on the Iranian ship.
Iran claimed that the Richmond Voyager had disregarded international maritime regulations and continued its course, and as a result, a court order was issued for Iran’s navy to seize the tanker.
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The tanker altered its route before entering Oman’s territorial waters, media reports said.
Iran’s actions
Iran reported the last incident to Oman, which it considers a friendly country and a mediator between Iran and the United States. Iran requested the seizure of the vessel.
It is worth noting that Iran had previously seized two tankers within a week in regional waters during April and early May.
In one of those incidents, Iranian navy commandos descended onto the deck of an oil tanker flying the Marshall Islands flag, the Advantage Sweet, in the Gulf of Oman.
