You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Iran seizes US-bound oil tanker in international waters
2023-04-27
[NY Post] Iran’s navy seized an oil tanker as it traversed international waters in the Gulf of Oman, the US announced Thursday, the fifth such incident in recent years.

The US Navy’s 5th Fleet identified the captured vessel as the Marshall Islands-flagged Advantage Sweet, which issued a distress call during the incident.

The Navy statement made no mention of the tanker’s destination, but data from MarineTraffic.com showed it in the Gulf of Oman just north of Oman’s capital, Muscat, on Thursday afternoon local time.

It had just come from Kuwait and its destination was listed as Houston, Texas.

"Iran’s actions are contrary to international law and disruptive to regional security and stability," the 5th Fleet said. "The Iranian government should immediately release the oil tanker.

"Iran’s continued harassment of vessels and interference with navigational rights in regional waters are a threat to maritime security and the global economy," the Navy statement added.

"In the past two years, Iran has unlawfully seized at least five commercial vessels sailing in the Middle East."

Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency said the seizure came after an “unknown ship collided with an Iranian vessel last night in the Persian Gulf, causing several Iranian crew members to go missing and get injured.” It did not identify the other ship involved in the alleged collision.

Iran has made allegations in other seizures that later fell apart as it became clear that Tehran was trying to leverage the capture as a chip to negotiate with foreign nations.

The vessel’s manager, a Turkish firm called Advantage Tankers, issued a statement acknowledging the Advantage Sweet was “being escorted by the Iranian navy to a port on the basis of an international dispute.”
Posted by:Frank G

#5  Or let Hezbollah handle the port explosives logistics. Worked for Beirut?
Posted by: Frank G   2023-04-27 19:49  

#4  ^ I'd consider that a good value for my tax dollars.
Posted by: M. Murcek   2023-04-27 17:27  

#3  The cure is actually quite simple. Let the SOB's take an old, remotely piloted tanker back to their port loaded with C4.
Posted by: Besoeker   2023-04-27 17:20  

#2  Are we having a Barbary pirates moment here?
Posted by: jpal   2023-04-27 16:31  

#1  Iran's navy seizes US-bound oil tanker 'Advantage Sweet' in international waters in Gulf of Oman - FIFTH vessel they've hijacked in two years
Posted by: Skidmark   2023-04-27 14:54  

00:00