Iran’s Revolutionary Guards confirmed on Saturday that they had taken control of a tanker in Gulf waters transporting petrochemicals bound for Singapore due to alleged violations, as reported by Iranian state media. A U.S. official and maritime security sources revealed on Friday that Iranian forces had intercepted the oil products tanker and redirected it into Iranian territorial waters. This incident marked the first seizure of a tanker by Tehran since Israeli-U.S. strikes on Iran in June.
According to Iranian state-run television, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stated that the tanker had violated regulations by carrying unauthorized cargo. However, specific details regarding the alleged violations were not provided. The Marshall Islands-flagged vessel, named the Talara, had been sailing near the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) and was transporting high-sulfur gas oil from Sharjah in the U.A.E. to Singapore through the Indian Ocean, as per maritime sources.
The company managing the vessel, Columbia Shipmanagement, reported losing contact with the Talara on Friday morning approximately 20 nautical miles off the coast of Khor Fakkan, U.A.E. They mentioned collaborating with relevant parties, including maritime security agencies and the vessel’s owner, to reestablish communication. The ship is owned by Pasha Finance, based in Cyprus.
The U.S. military released a statement acknowledging the incident and stating that they were actively monitoring the situation. The IRGC of Iran has previously seized commercial vessels in Gulf waters over the years, citing reasons such as alleged smuggling, technical infractions, or legal disputes. Despite this, a U.S. official speaking anonymously noted that the recent incident was unexpected, as Iran had refrained from such actions in recent times.
Following the Israeli bombing campaign in June, supported by the United States, Iran had reduced its military activities in the region. The last reported seizure of a vessel by Iran was back in April 2024.