Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) seized a Panama-flagged oil tanker “Niovi” while it passed through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran seized another Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker “Advantage Sweet” in the Gulf of Oman last Thursday. Maritime security firm Ambrey noted the first tanker seizure came after the United States recently seized Iranian oil cargo aboard the Marshall Islands-flagged “Suez Rajan.”
The U.S. State Department has asked Iran and its Navy to release the tankers and their crews. Twenty percent of global crude oil shipping passes through the Strait of Hormuz, and the State Department commented Iran’s actions are disruptive to regional stability. The Marshall Islands flag registry commented that Iran’s actions could possibly lead to dangerous miscalculations or misidentifications. Niovi was traveling from Dubai to the UAE Fujairah port when IRGC ships forced it into international waters. Iran’s violent crackdown on protests, sale of weapons to Russia, and nuclear program were cited as recent developments contributing to current tensions with the United States
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https://www.reuters.com/world/second-oil-tanker-week-seized-by-iran-gulf-us-navy-2023-05-03/
