TEHRAN: The already fragile oil markets have taken another hit as the United States seized an Iranian oil cargo, triggering a response from Tehran. According to Reuters, a maritime security firm reported that the US had seized the cargo in an attempt to enforce sanctions against Iran.
The latest stand-off between the two countries marks an escalation, with tensions already high following years of sanctions pressure from the US over Iran’s nuclear program. Tehran has been resisting sanctions and has seen a surge in its oil exports.
Iran has repeatedly claimed that its nuclear program is for civilian purposes, while the US believes that it is intended to acquire a nuclear bomb. The latest incident is likely to exacerbate an already tense situation between the two countries.
Maritime security company Ambrey reported that the US confiscation took place at least five days before Iran’s action on Thursday, which it assessed to be in response to the US action. Both tankers involved were Suezmax-sized, and Iran has previously responded tit-for-tat following seizures of Iranian oil cargo.
According to Reuters, Washington took control of the oil cargo aboard the Marshall Islands tanker Suez Rajan after obtaining an earlier court order. The oil tanker’s last reported position was near southern Africa on April 22, ship tracking data showed.
Iran takes control of Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker
In response, the Iranian Navy took control of a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday. This marks the latest confiscation by Tehran of commercial vessels in sensitive Gulf waters, a sea lane from where millions of barrels of oil pass daily.
The Iranian state media reported that the tanker had ignored radio calls for eight hours following a collision with an Iranian boat, which left several crewmen injured and three missing. Rear Admiral Mostafa Tajodini, Iranian deputy navy commander, told the state media that they tried to call the vessel to stop but it did not cooperate.
A US spokesperson said that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was aware of the Gulf of Oman seizure and reaffirmed support for international maritime law.
The incident is not the first of its kind, with Washington attempting to take control of a cargo ship of Iranian oil near Greece in 2022, sparking a response from Tehran to seize two Greek oil tankers in the Gulf. The oil cargo was later returned to Iran on the orders of the Supreme Court of Greece, and Tehran also released the two seized tankers.
As tensions escalate, 12 US senators have urged President Joe Biden to set aside Treasury Department policy obstacles preventing the Homeland Security Department from taking control of Iranian oil shipments for more than a year.
In a similar attempt in 2020, US seized four cargoes of Iranian fuel aboard foreign ships en route to Venezuela and directed them with unidentified foreign collaborators onto two other ships which then went to the US.
