Iran seized a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday amid wider tensions over Tehran’s nuclear program, the U.S. Navy said.
The Navy’s Mideast-based 5th Fleet identified the vessel as the Advantage Sweet. Satellite tracking data for the vessel from MarineTraffic.com showed it in the Gulf of Oman just north of Oman’s capital, Muscat, on Thursday afternoon. It had just come from Kuwait and listed its destination as Houston, Texas.
The Advantage Sweet issued a distress call at 1:15 p.m. while in international waters as Iran seized the vessel, the Navy said.
“Iran’s actions are contrary to international law and disruptive to regional security and stability,” the 5th Fleet said in a statement. “Iran should immediately release the oil tanker.”
The Navy identified Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard as seizing the vessel. However, Iranian state television some two hours later acknowledged the seizure but attributed it to Iran’s navy, rather than the paramilitary force.
The discrepancy could not be immediately reconciled and Iran gave no reasons to explain its seizure of the vessel.
The 5th Fleet said the Iranian seizure was at least the fifth commercial vessel taken by Tehran in the last two years.
“Iran’s continued harassment of vessels and interference with navigational rights in regional waters are a threat to maritime security and the global economy,” it added.
The vessel’s manager, a Turkish firm, did not respond to requests for comment. Its listed owner appeared to be a Chinese company.
Thursday’s seizure by Iran was the latest in a string of hijackings and explosions to roil a region that includes the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of all traded oil passes.
The incidents began after then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers, which saw Tehran drastically limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.
Also, the U.S. Navy has blamed Iran for a series of limpet mine attacks on vessels that damaged tankers in 2019, as well as for a fatal drone attack on an Israeli-linked oil tanker that killed two European crew members in 2021.
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Tehran denies carrying out the attacks, but a wider shadow war between Iran and the West has played out in the region’s volatile waters. Iranian tanker seizures have been a part of it since 2019. The last major seizure came when Iran took two Greek tankers in May and held them until November.
Talks over Iran’s tattered nuclear deal have been stalled for a year. Since the deal’s collapse, Iran runs advanced centrifuges and has a rapidly growing stockpile of enriched uranium. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency has warned Iran has enriched enough up to 60% purity — a short technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%. That would be sufficient for Iran to make several nuclear weapons if it chooses to do so. [AP News]
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOd634GEyp0 Why Persian Gulf must never to be closed or WW consequences! Iran will go for third ship in Persian Gulf .. Gas will go to 5 dollars!
Khamenei urges Iranians to prepare for ‘new world order’
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told university students that there is a new multipolar world order emerging. A New World Order’? The Iran-Russia-China Axis During the Biden Administration.When every one says is my NWO is correct one it is biggest danger in the world. All training exercises are made by AI and is AI knows something that would not tell us? Nuclear WW3 is coming ready or not?
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/19562/new-world-order-iran-russia-china
Iran re sized second ship in the Persian Gulf as a pre text to close the Persian Gulf as we predicted and always intel before it happens? We told you months before ags will go up to 15 plus when Ayatoolahs are agent of UK will do push for final WW3? Closing of Persian Gulf Water ways?
Israel is in favor of Son of Shah of Iran to be installed will they be success to over through traitors arabs ocupied Iran . Time is runing out for carpet bombs ayatoolahs are diminishing windows now or never will happen!!
These are dry run for the final closing up Persian Gulf by Ayatoolahs, and Israel and USA will bomb Ayatoolahs to the wiping ashes soon! WW3 is starts by UK puppet ayatoolahs ! Gas will be in USA 10 pluses and banks will collapses and anarchy will started will be in peak points? Martial Law in USA and world are fruits of UK for all mankinds! Bomb Bomb Ayatoolahs Now not people of Iran.
Do not put trust in kings/queens nor man, only in Yahashua/Yeshua Jesus (he is God) alone. Almost all of our world’s history is a lie and only in these end times (and afterwards) shall all lies be exposed, and all secrets be revealed.
Iran had a small earthquake. 4.9 mag. Saw it on the other website.
No playing around with those nukes guys. 😁
Hello to all nice to have back and we have a lot of intels for all about Ayatoolahs .. Iranian want regime change specially when Reza Shah 2 the son of Shah invited to Israel by the heads of Israel.
It means attack without contact of Israel and USA is coming and Reza Shah which is western and
his wife is queen of Iran . we wished Iranian go to streets like Egyptions did spring of middle east will come any ways. Hello Starnge Sounds nice blog as always. Reza Shah 2 is now in Italy from coming back Israel trip. Russia news is also bad every one knows if not kraine is attacking Russia soon in many fronts, blood will run in all streets of Ukraine and Russia soon! WW3 red alert DEFCON 1 in 2 week! California mega quake is all set to go from Sandiego to Alaska third shaking of planet earth is suddenly will come …
Well world war 3 starts from Iran Ayatoolahs..
Look people, Trump seized an Iranian oil tanker, stole the oil and sold it for $110 million. Trump stole 1 million barrels of Iranian fuel from four tankers heading to Venezuela and sold it. Trump murdered Iranian peace envoy Qasem Soleimani with a drone strike. Now, you tell me …… what you would do to pirates stealing your property, interfering in commerce and murdering members of your government?
Then there’s all those planes sent by Obama to Iran (3 planes with 1.7 Billion (with a “B”) in cash. How much of that haul was kicked back to Obama, et. al.?
Iran is simply playing the game that the Washington regime is playing with them. There’s not a damn “journalist” out there that will give you the real facts.
I think Iran has a deep state or swamp. All governments seem to be operating as if they have been infiltrated by dangerous subversives and tyrants. We never get the full story, only the propaganda.