IRGC seize Togolese tanker smuggling oil off Bushehr coast
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The Betelgeuse oil tanker had attempted to smuggle 1.5 million liters of oil and the operation was shut down by the IRGC.
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In this photo released on Feb. 17, 2021, an Iranian naval vessel flying an Iranian flag participates in a joint naval exercise of the Russian Navy, the Iranian navy, and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's navy in the Indian Ocean. (Iranian Army via AP)
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps announced on Monday that its naval force seized an oil tanker alongside 12 members of its crew off the coast of the southern Iranian city of Bushehr.
The Togolese Betelgeuse vessel was reportedly smuggling 1.5 million liters of oil and was taken to Iranian waters following a judiciary order.
"The vessel was brought to the port of Bushehr, along with its 12 crew members, who are of Indian and Sri Lankan nationality," the Sepahnews website said.
In April, the IRGC Navy seized an Israeli-linked vessel near the Strait of Hormuz.
The footage, obtained by the Associated Press (AP), depicted the operation previously reported by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). However, it provided no details regarding the boarding incident in the Gulf of Oman near the Emirati port city of Fujairah.
Video purportedly from the IRGC boarding of the Israeli-linked MSC ARIES container ship in the Strait of Hormuz. pic.twitter.com/UXOS2EuxKU
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) April 13, 2024
One defense official who requested anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, shared the video with the AP. In the footage, IRGC Navy members are seen rappelling down onto a stack of containers on the vessel's deck.
A crew member aboard the ship could be heard instructing, "Don't come out," before urging colleagues to proceed to the ship's bridge as additional commandos descended onto the deck.
The vessel in question is the Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries, a container ship linked to London-based Zodiac Maritime, owned by Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer's Zodiac Group.
