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The US Navy reports that Iran has seized another oil tanker in the Gulf, marking the second such seizure in a week
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By Smartencyclopedia Newsroom with Agencies
Fast-attack crafts from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy swarming Panama-flagged oil tanker Niovi as it transits the Strait of Hormuz from Dubai to port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, Arabian Gulf early hours of May 3, 2023.
(photo credit: US NAVAL FORCES CENTRAL COMMAND/US 5TH FLEET/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)

On Wednesday, the US Navy announced that Iran had seized a second oil tanker in Gulf waters, which marks the latest escalation in a string of attacks or seizures on commercial vessels in the region since 2019.

According to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet based in Bahrain, the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) seized the Niovi, a Panama-flagged oil tanker, at 6:20 a.m. (0220 GMT) while the vessel was transiting through the narrow Strait of Hormuz.

Following Iran’s seizure of the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker, the Advantage Sweet, in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday, the vessel is currently being held by Iranian authorities in Bandar Abbas, as reported by the Marshall Islands flag registry on Tuesday. This incident occurred prior to Iran’s recent seizure of the Panama-flagged oil tanker, the Niovi, in the Strait of Hormuz.

Ambrey, a maritime security company, has suggested that Iran’s seizure of the Advantage Sweet may have been a response to the recent US court order seizure of an oil cargo on board the Marshall Islands tanker, the Suez Rajan.

According to the US Navy, the Niovi oil tanker that was seized on Wednesday was en route from Dubai to the UAE’s Fujairah port when it was intercepted by boats from Iran’s IRGCN. The tanker was then redirected towards Iranian territorial waters.

Refinitiv ship tracking data indicated that the Niovi’s last recorded location was off the coast of Oman in the Strait of Hormuz at 0231 GMT on Wednesday. The tanker was heading towards Fujairah, according to the same data.

The International Maritime Organization’s shipping database shows that the Niovi is owned by Grand Financing Co and managed by Greece-based Smart Tankers. Despite a request for comment from Reuters, Smart Tankers did not respond at the time of reporting.

Iran has the potential to pose a threat to commercial vessels, as nearly a fifth of the world’s crude oil and oil products pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow choke point between Iran and Oman, as reported by analytics firm Vortexa. The Marshall Islands flag registry issued a warning on Tuesday, stating that heightened military activity and geopolitical tensions in the region could result in serious threats to commercial vessels. The registry also highlighted the risk of miscalculation or misidentification, leading to aggressive actions.

Since 2019, there have been a number of attacks on shipping in the Gulf waters, particularly during times of tension between the United States and Iran. Talks between Tehran and Washington aimed at reviving Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers have stalled since September due to various issues, including Iran’s crackdown on popular protests, its sale of drones to Russia, and acceleration of its nuclear program.

Source: with agencies

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