Strait of Hormuz. (Credit: Illustrative photo, AFP)
The Revolutionary Guards, the ideological army of the Islamic Republic, confirmed on Saturday that they had seized in Gulf waters a tanker that had suddenly changed course on Friday in the Strait of Hormuz to head toward Iranian waters.
On Friday at 04:00 a.m., ‘’following a court order to seize the cargo of a tanker, the Talara, flying the Marshall Islands flag, rapid intervention units of the Revolutionary Guards navy monitored its movements, intercepted it, and boarded it,’’ the Guards said in a statement. ‘’The tanker was in violation for carrying unauthorized cargo,’’ they added. ‘’The tanker was transporting 30,000 tonnes of petrochemical products and was heading to Singapore. It was brought to anchorage this morning to address the observed violations,’’ the Guards said.
The Revolutionary Guards are a force distinct from the regular army.
The ship had departed Ajman in the United Arab Emirates for Singapore, according to the maritime company Ambrey. It was approached by three small boats while passing through the Strait of Hormuz heading south.
The Strait of Hormuz, a key passage for global oil and liquefied natural gas transport, has been the scene of several past incidents. Last year, the Revolutionary Guards boarded a container ship, accusing its owner of being ‘’linked to Israel’’ after a deadly attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria, attributed to Israel.
Iran confirmed its Revolutionary Guards seized a tanker carrying petrochemical cargo bound for Singapore in Gulf waters on Friday, Iranian media reported. Following inspections, authorities said ‘’the tanker was in violation for carrying unauthorized cargo.’’
A U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, said the ship, the Talara, had been traveling from Ajman, UAE, to Singapore when Iranian forces intercepted it.
A U.S. Navy MQ-4C Triton drone had been circling above the area where the Talara was for hours on Friday, flight-tracking data analyzed by AP showed.
Private security firm Ambrey described the operation as involving three small boats approaching the Talara.
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