TEHERAN (REUTERS) – Iranian Revolutionary Guards seized an Iraqi oil tanker in the Gulf which they said was smuggling fuel and detained seven crewmen, The vessel was intercepted near Iran’s Farsi Island in the Gulf, Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency said. The elite Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has a navy base on Farsi Island which is located north of the Strait of Hormuz. “The IRGC’s naval forces have seized a foreign oil tanker in the Persian Gulf that was smuggling fuel for some Arab countries,” the Guards commander Ramezan Zirahi told state TV. The state news agency IRNA, quoting the Guards, said it was an Iraqi ship that was seized on Wednesday night in the Gulf. Zirahi said it was carrying 700,000 litres of fuel, without elaborating on the nationalities of the detained crewmen. “The boats of the IRGC navy were patrolling the area to control traffic and detect illicit trade when they seized the … [Read more...] about Iran seizes Iraqi oil tanker smuggling fuel in Gulf: TV
Oil tanker videos
Gibraltar, Iran officials hold talks on seized oil tanker
GIBRALTAR: Gibraltar's Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said on Thursday (Jul 18) he had a "constructive and positive" meeting with Iranian officials in London aimed at defusing tensions around an oil tanker carrying Iranian oil being held in the British territory's waters.In a statement, Picardo's government said the meeting took place on Wednesday and to discuss the continued detention of the Grace One tanker "and to seek to de-escalate all aspects of the issues arising".It did not identify which Iranian officials participated.The Grace One supertanker, carrying 2.1 million barrels of oil, was intercepted by British Royal Marines and Gibraltar's police as it transited through waters claimed by Gibraltar, which is located on Spain's southern tip.US officials believed the tanker was destined for Syria to deliver oil, in violation of separate sets of EU and US sanctions.Iran has reacted with fury at what it termed "piracy" and warned it would not let the interception go unanswered.Last … [Read more...] about Gibraltar, Iran officials hold talks on seized oil tanker
Iran tried to seize British oil tanker: Report
WASHINGTON: Armed Iranian boats attempted to seize a British tanker in strategic Gulf waters on Wednesday but were driven off by a Royal Navy frigate, CNN reported. The Iranians ordered the British Heritage oil tanker, which was crossing into the Strait of Hormuz area, to change course and stop in Tehran’s nearby waters, CNN said, citing two American officials. A US aircraft shot video of the incident, which ended when the HMS Montrose — which was escorting the tanker — trained its guns on the boats and successfully warned them to back off, the channel said. Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani had warned Britain of “consequences” on Wednesday over the detention of one of the country’s oil tankers off the coast of Gibraltar. “I point out to the British that you initiated insecurity (on the seas) and you shall grasp the consequences of it later on,“ Rouhani said in comments to the cabinet broadcast by state TV. The 330m Grace 1 tanker, … [Read more...] about Iran tried to seize British oil tanker: Report
Tanker attacks in Gulf of Oman stoke fears over conflict and oil
DUBAI (REUTERS) - Two oil tankers were attacked on Thursday (June 13) and left adrift in the Gulf of Oman, driving up oil prices and stoking fears of a new confrontation between Iran and the United States, which blamed Teheran for the incident. “It is the assessment of the United States government that the Islamic Republic of Iran is responsible for the attacks that occurred in the Gulf of Oman today,” US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters in a brief appearance without providing hard evidence to back up the stance. “This assessment is based on intelligence, the weapons used, the level of expertise needed to execute the operation, recent similar Iranian attacks on shipping, and the fact that no proxy group operating in the area has the resources and proficiency to act with such a high degree of sophistication,” he said. Washington accused Teheran of being behind a similar attack on May 12 on four tankers in the same area, a vital shipping route … [Read more...] about Tanker attacks in Gulf of Oman stoke fears over conflict and oil
US releases video it says shows Iran’s military recovering mine
WASHINGTON: The US military released a video late on Thursday that it said showed Iran's Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) removing an unexploded mine from the side of a Japanese-owned oil tanker, as Washington blamed Iran for attacks rattling global oil markets.The US military's Central Command also released photographs showing the apparent mine, which attaches to the side of a ship magnetically, before it was removed later in the day.Such imagery is often difficult to declassify and its release appeared to show US efforts to convince the international community of Iran's culpability in Thursday's attacks on the Kokuka Courageous and the Norwegian-owned Front Altair. Tehran has bluntly denied the allegation.Both vessels suffered explosions, forcing crews to abandon ship and leave them adrift in waters between Gulf Arab states and Iran.Navy Captain Bill Urban, a Central Command spokesman, said the IRGC vessel was observed at 4:10 p.m. local time approaching the Japanese-owned … [Read more...] about US releases video it says shows Iran’s military recovering mine