Iran has confirmed that its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) intercepted and seized a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker in the Gulf on Saturday, marking the first such operation since Israeli-U.S. strikes on Iranian territory in June.
The vessel, the Talara, was reportedly carrying a cargo of high-sulphur gasoil from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates and was en route to Singapore when it was diverted into Iranian waters.
Iranian state television broadcast a brief statement from the IRGC claiming the tanker had been detained for “carrying unauthorised cargo”, though no additional information was provided regarding the specific nature of the alleged violation.
Maritime security sources said the vessel had been sailing off the UAE coast when Iranian forces intercepted it, while the manager, Columbia Shipmanagement, confirmed that contact with the crew was lost early on Friday approximately 20 nautical miles off Khor Fakkan.
The company stated it was working with maritime authorities and the ship’s Cyprus-based owner, Pasha Finance, in efforts to re-establish communication.
The United States military acknowledged awareness of the situation and said it was monitoring developments.
A U.S. official, speaking anonymously, described the seizure as unexpected given that Iran had scaled back such maritime operations in recent months.
Tehran has a history of detaining commercial vessels in the Gulf, typically citing infractions ranging from alleged smuggling to technical or legal disputes.
These actions have often heightened tensions along one of the world’s most strategically important shipping corridors, where a significant share of global energy supplies transits.
Iran’s comparatively restrained posture since June followed a 12-day Israeli bombing campaign, supported by the United States, which prompted fears of broader regional escalation.
The last reported Iranian seizure of a vessel occurred in April 2024, making the interception of the Talara a notable and potentially destabilising shift amid fragile efforts to prevent further unrest in Gulf waters.
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