Iran's IRGC Seizes Oil Tanker in Strait of Hormuz

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps seized a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, marking the first such interdiction of a commercial vessel by Tehran since its clashes with Israel and the United States in June. The incident, which occurred near the United Arab Emirates coast, involved the tanker Talara, which was en route from Ajman in the UAE to Singapore carrying approximately 30,000 tons of high-sulfur gasoil.

Iranian state media reported on Saturday that the IRGC acted on a judicial order, citing the vessel's transport of unauthorized cargo. The IRGC statement described the operation as fulfilling legal duties to protect national interests and resources. Maritime security firms, including Ambrey, detailed that three small boats approached the Talara as it navigated south through the strait, prompting the ship to deviate from its course in the Gulf of Oman toward Iranian territorial waters. The vessel anchored off the southern Makran coast for inspection, where authorities examined its cargo and documentation, confirming the violations.

Columbia Shipmanagement, the Cyprus-based operator of the Talara, confirmed it lost contact with the...