Iran confirms seizing ‘transgressor’ ship after collision with Iranian vessel

TEHRAN

The Iranian army’s naval division said a Marshal Island-flagged “transgressor” ship was directed to the coastal waters of Iran in the Gulf of Oman late on Wednesday following an encounter with an Iranian vessel.

In a statement, the army said the ship collided with an Iranian vessel overnight on Wednesday in the Persian Gulf waters, injuring some Iranian crew members with at least two still missing.

The “unknown ship,” according to the statement, escaped from the scene “in violation of international maritime laws and regulations” that required it to tend to the injured Iranian crew.

The ship, it hastened to add, was identified by the International Maritime Security Center (IMSC) located in the southeastern port city of Chabahar and subsequently seized on court orders.

Earlier on Thursday, the US Navy in a statement said a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker was seized by Iranian naval forces in the Gulf of Oman, identifying it as the Advantage Sweet.

The US Naval Forces Central Command said the ship was seized “while transiting international waters in the Gulf of Oman,” attributing it to Iran’s revolutionary guards (IRGC).

Satellite tracking data showed the Texas-bound tanker docked in the Gulf of Oman north of the Omani capital Muscat on Thursday after it had come from Kuwait, reports said.

“Iran’s actions are contrary to international law and disruptive to regional security and stability," the US 5th Fleet based in the Middle East said. “Iran should immediately release the oil tanker.”

The statement further said Iran has “unlawfully” seized at least five commercial vessels in the Middle East region in the past two years.

The incident came amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington fueled by the stalemate over talks to revive the 2015 nuclear deal as well as the Ukraine war.