Iran Seizes Foreign Tanker Over Fuel Smuggling Allegations in Sea of Oman

Iran has seized a foreign tanker in the Sea of Oman, accusing it of fuel smuggling, according to the country’s judiciary on Wednesday. The vessel, reportedly carrying two million litres of smuggled fuel, was intercepted after officials found discrepancies in its cargo documentation.

Mojtaba Ghahremani, judiciary chief of Iran’s southern Hormozgan province, stated that legal documents for the tanker’s cargo were incomplete. As a result, seventeen individuals, including the ship’s captain and crew, have been detained. Authorities have not disclosed the nationalities or identities of the arrested crew members.

Iranian officials are now conducting laboratory tests and further reviewing documents to validate the cargo and determine the extent of the alleged smuggling operation. The seized tanker is the latest in a series of similar actions by Iran.

Earlier this year, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards detained two Tanzanian-flagged tankers, the Sea Ranger and Salama, accused of smuggling 1.5 million litres of diesel. Those vessels were later moved to the port of Bushehr for judicial proceedings.

Fuel smuggling remains a significant issue in Iran, where government subsidies have kept fuel prices among the lowest globally, making it a target for illegal trade.