Iran seized a second oil tanker in less than a week, raising tensions over shipping in one of the world’s most vital trade corridors.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy captured the Panamanian-flagged oil tanker Niovi at around 6:20 a.m. local time on Wednesday while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, according to a Navy statement of the United States.
The incident is the latest eruption in one of the world’s most oil-rich regions. Hundreds of tankers sail through the strait every month on their way there from ports in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq and Kuwait.
The Niovi left Dubai and was en route to the UAE port of Fujairah when “a dozen IRGCN fast attack craft swarmed the ship in mid-strait,” according to the US. The ship was forced to head into Iranian territorial waters off the coast of Bandar Abbas, he said.
On May 3 at approximately 6:20 local time, the Panamanian-flagged oil tanker Niovi was seized by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGCN) Navy while transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
See the video and link to the statement below ⬇️https://t.co/sdyxYmAQtO pic.twitter.com/0QcHUwM1Ks
— US Naval Forces Central Command/US 5th Fleet (@US5thFleet) May 3, 2023
Iran’s Tasnim news service reported that Iranian naval forces seized a foreign oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, without giving further details.
The vessel, built in 2005, is a supertanker capable of carrying 2 million barrels of crude oil, ship tracking data compiled by Bloomberg shows. It appeared to be empty on Wednesday, according to the latest signal from the ship’s navigation system, which includes draft data.
Global benchmark Brent crude futures steadied after falling as much as 2.4% on Wednesday, trading below $75 a barrel for the first time since March.
The Iranian Navy seized the Marshall Islands-flagged Advantage Sweet in international waters on April 27. The ship sailed to Bandar Abbas, where it is being held along with its crew.
Some US officials believe the move was retaliation against the Justice Department’s decision to force a China-bound tanker carrying Iranian oil to divert to America, the Financial Times reported.
