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Iran seizes an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz

Iran seized a foreign oil tanker near Qeshm island, Iran, state media reported it carried 4 million litres of smuggled fuel according to IRNA news agency.
Fuel subsidies and a weak currency have prompted Iran to tighten anti-smuggling operations, saying it is curbing widespread fuel smuggling after last week's 6 million litres tanker seizure.
Authorities withheld the tanker’s name and nationality, detained 16 foreign crew members on criminal charges, and state-linked news websites published footage of the seized vessel.
The seizure raises immediate risks for commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, where Tehran has threatened closure and 20% of all traded oil passes, while the U.S. Navy's Bahrain-based 5th Fleet patrols the area.
Repeated interceptions at the Strait of Hormuz reflect broader Iran-West tensions, with a November seizure and the April 2024 capture of the Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries highlighting enforcement amid regional conflict.

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Iran seizes foreign oil tanker carrying smuggled fuel through Strait of Hormuz

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has seized a foreign oil tanker carrying 4 million litres of alleged smuggled fuel in the Strait of Hormuz, detaining 16 crew members on board.

1 day ago·Mumbai, India

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Deutschlandfunk

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Indictment of Fuel Smuggling - Iran Reports Another Seizure of a Foreign Tanker

According to state media, Iran has again seized a foreign tanker in the Persian Gulf.

2 days ago·Germany

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Al Bawaba

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Carrying Smuggled Fuel: Iran Seizes Foreign Oil Tanker

Iranian state media reported on Friday that Tehran had seized a foreign oil tanker near Iran's Qeshm Island in the Gulf, stating that it was carrying four million liters of smuggled fuel.

2 days ago·Amman, Jordan

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Euronews

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Iranian navy seizes 'foreign' oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz

Authorities detained 16 foreign crew members but did not reveal their nationalities or the tanker's flag, Tehran-run state media reported.

2 days ago·France

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Washington Times

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Iran seizes oil tanker in Strait of Hormuz for alleged smuggling

Iran on Friday said it seized a foreign-owned oil tanker traveling through the strategic Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East.

2 days ago·United States

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Associated Press News

+8 Reposted by 8 other sources

Lean Left

Iran seizes an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz

Iran has seized a foreign oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz. The Revolutionary Guard naval forces captured the vessel, which was carrying some 25,000 barrels of smuggled fuel, according to a report Friday by the official IRNA news agency.

2 days ago·United States

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