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Iran
An image grab taken from a video released by the IRGC on July 18, 2019 reportedly shows the Panamanian-flagged tanker Riah, that was detained by the IRGC in the Strait of Hormuz. Photo: AFP / HO / IRIB
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) seized an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday in retaliation for the British government’s detention of an Iranian vessel off Gibraltar on July 4, according to FARS news, an outlet close to the IRGC.
As the head of the IRGC visited the Persian Gulf area on Thursday, the Guards’ media outlets quoted a statement claiming the IRGC had seized a foreign oil tanker last Sunday in the Strait of Hormuz, raising serious concerns about the freedom of navigation in the strategic waterway.
Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz have risen in recent weeks as several Iranian officials threatened to seize a British oil tanker in response to a Royal Marines operation to detain an Iranian oil tanker off Gibraltar earlier this month.
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei even described the British action as “evil” and said London’s move would not go unanswered.
In its report, FARS news, which is closely tied to the IRGC, said “British piracy would not go unanswered”.
“As part of an operation to monitor and control marital movements in the Persian Gulf in order to discover and confront organized smuggling, on Sunday 14/7/2019, the petrol boats of the First Naval District of IRGC in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz after becoming certain of transporting smuggled fuel by a foreign ship… seized this ship which carried one million liters of smuggled fuel after coordinating and receiving a judicial warrant in the south of Larak island,” a statement from the IRGC’s First Naval District said on Thursday, published by FARS.
The ship, which has 12 foreign crew members, has capacity for two million liters of fuel. The IRGC claims the crew intended to deliver the fuel to other foreign ships.
The statement did not provide any information about the flag of the ship or the nationality of the 12 crew members. The IRGC denied claims another ship was detained in recent days.
A United Arab Emirates (UAE) tanker, MT RIAH, went missing over the weekend. US intelligence agencies believe Iran forced the tanker into Iranian territorial waters.
Since US President Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and re-imposed crippling sanctions, Tehran had taken a belligerent approach to Western governments, reducing some of its commitment to the landmark accord, including raising the level of uranium enrichment.
France, Britain, and Germany have tried to save the nuclear deal and reduce tensions fearing the collapse of the accord would usher in an era of instability in the Middle East with devastating consequences for the world economy and regional stability.
Iran has repeatedly threatened to raise the level of uranium enrichment and scale back on its commitments if the remaining European signatories do not help Iran sell its oil and support its financial sector.
Last month, following the downing of a US surveillance drone over the Persian Gulf, the US Treasury Department sanctioned eight senior commanders of the IRGC, including Abbas Gholamshahi, commander of the IRGC in the Strait of Hormuz responsible for the seizure of the foreign ship on Sunday.
Speaking in the Persian Gulf area on Thursday, newly appointed IRGC chief Hossein Salami said the region is of vital importance to Iran and that Tehran has amassed troops and offensive military capabilities to defend it.
“If the enemies make a calculating mistake, our defensive strategy would change to offensive strategy,” warned Salami. “And our whole capabilities would become offensive.”
As the head of the IRGC visited the Persian Gulf area on Thursday, the Guards’ media outlets quoted a statement claiming the IRGC had seized a foreign oil tanker last Sunday in the Strait of Hormuz, raising serious concerns about the freedom of navigation in the strategic waterway.
The announcement comes just a day after the US State Department said it is hosting a discussion with the diplomatic corps in Washington focusing on maritime security in the Persian Gulf area.
Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz have risen in recent weeks as several Iranian officials threatened to seize a British oil tanker in response to a Royal Marines operation to detain an Iranian oil tanker off Gibraltar earlier this month.
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei even described the British action as “evil” and said London’s move would not go unanswered.
In its report, FARS news, which is closely tied to the IRGC, said “British piracy would not go unanswered”.
“As part of an operation to monitor and control marital movements in the Persian Gulf in order to discover and confront organized smuggling, on Sunday 14/7/2019, the petrol boats of the First Naval District of IRGC in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz after becoming certain of transporting smuggled fuel by a foreign ship… seized this ship which carried one million liters of smuggled fuel after coordinating and receiving a judicial warrant in the south of Larak island,” a statement from the IRGC’s First Naval District said on Thursday, published by FARS.
The ship, which has 12 foreign crew members, has capacity for two million liters of fuel. The IRGC claims the crew intended to deliver the fuel to other foreign ships.
The statement did not provide any information about the flag of the ship or the nationality of the 12 crew members. The IRGC denied claims another ship was detained in recent days.
A United Arab Emirates (UAE) tanker, MT RIAH, went missing over the weekend. US intelligence agencies believe Iran forced the tanker into Iranian territorial waters.
Since US President Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and re-imposed crippling sanctions, Tehran had taken a belligerent approach to Western governments, reducing some of its commitment to the landmark accord, including raising the level of uranium enrichment.
France, Britain, and Germany have tried to save the nuclear deal and reduce tensions fearing the collapse of the accord would usher in an era of instability in the Middle East with devastating consequences for the world economy and regional stability.
Iran has repeatedly threatened to raise the level of uranium enrichment and scale back on its commitments if the remaining European signatories do not help Iran sell its oil and support its financial sector.
Last month, following the downing of a US surveillance drone over the Persian Gulf, the US Treasury Department sanctioned eight senior commanders of the IRGC, including Abbas Gholamshahi, commander of the IRGC in the Strait of Hormuz responsible for the seizure of the foreign ship on Sunday.
Speaking in the Persian Gulf area on Thursday, newly appointed IRGC chief Hossein Salami said the region is of vital importance to Iran and that Tehran has amassed troops and offensive military capabilities to defend it.
“If the enemies make a calculating mistake, our defensive strategy would change to offensive strategy,” warned Salami. “And our whole capabilities would become offensive.”
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