Iran seizes US-sanctioned tanker carrying Islamic regime’s oil in Gulf of Oman

Iranian authorities claimed the seizure was retaliation for the US confiscation of Iranian oil from the same vessel in 2023. At the time, the United States accused the tanker’s operators of violating sanctions by transporting Iranian crude oil allegedly destined for China. US officials later seized nearly one million barrels of oil from the ship following a federal court ruling.

The latest incident occurred in the Gulf of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy corridor through which a significant portion of the world’s oil supply passes daily. Maritime tracking data showed the vessel abruptly changing course toward Iranian waters after armed personnel reportedly boarded the ship.

Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency said the navy acted “in accordance with a court order,” accusing the tanker of involvement in what Tehran called the “theft” of Iranian oil by the United States. Iranian officials said the vessel was being transferred to Iranian ports for further legal proceedings.