Iran navy seizes oil tanker previously seized by US authorities
Iran Navy
Iranian navy has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Oman as a retaliation for "theft" of oil from the same ship by the United States, country's state media reported on Thursday (January 11). The state media reports came just hours after statement by British-navy maritime security agency saying that armed men had boarded St Nikolas, the Greek-owned ship which was flying a Marshall Islands flag. After Iranian navy seized the ship, it changed course towards Bandar-e-Jask in Iran.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said earlier that four or five "unauthorised boarders are reported to be wearing military-style black uniforms with black masks"
Confirmation from Iran's navy came later. The navy said that it indeed has seized the ship which was previously called Suez Rajan.
"The Navy of the Islamic Republic of Iran seized an American oil tanker in the waters of the Gulf of Oman in accordance with a court order," the official IRNA news agency said.
IRNA report said that seizure of the ship was in retaliation for "violation committed by the Suez Rajan ship... and the theft of Iranian oil by the United States."
Iran has in past responded in tit-for-tat manner after Iranian oil shipments were seized. US sanctions seek to reduce Iran's energy exports by targetting the country's oil and petrochemical sales.
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Iran and the US had reached landmark nuclear deal under former US president Barack Obama. But his successor Donald Trump withdrew US out of the deal. This reimposed crippling US sanctions on Iran.
AFP quoted Ambrey, a British maritime risk company which said that personnel who boarded the ship covered cameras on the ship.The company added that a security officer "reported hearing unknown voices over the phone along with the master's voice".
Empire Navigation, the Greece-based company which manages the oil tanker told AFP that communication with the ship had been lost. The company said there were 19 crew members on the ship - 19 filipinos and one Greek.
The company said further that the ship loaded with 145,000 tonnes of crude oil in Basra, Iraq and was due to reach Aliaga in Turkey via the Suez Canal.
As per Ambrey, the ship was renamed secretly and was previously prosecuted and even fined for carrying Iranian oil. The ship was confiscated at that time by US authorities.
Iranian navy's public relations office, as quoted by IRNA, said that the oil tanker was being transferred to the "ports of the Islamic republic for delivery to the judicial authorities".
(With inputs from agencies)