IRGC seizes foreign ship smuggling fuel in Gulf waters: Tasnim

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Mehr
28 Jan 2024 20:54
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The Iranian Revolution Guard Navy announces the seizure of a foreign ship carrying 2 million liters of smuggled diesel fuel in the waters of Bushehr city in the Gulf.

A screen grab from video footage showing a foreign oil tanker smuggling fuel in the Gulf, taken from a Press TV video broadcasted on August 4, 2019 (Press TV)

The commander of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corp's Navy, Brigadier General Honarian Mojarad, announced, on Sunday, the seizure of a cargo ship carrying two million liters of smuggled diesel fuel in the Gulf waters.

Mojarad stated that "this morning, a foreign ship flying the flag of a country from Oceania (a geographical region including Australia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia) was seized, and it was carrying two million liters of smuggled diesel fuel."

Moreover, the commander added that "effective measures have been taken to combat fuel smuggling, and we have witnessed extensive discoveries," referring to the intelligence monitoring of the second region of the IRGC's naval forces in the Gulf, as reported by Mehr.

The commander pointed out that "the ship was seized 60 miles off the coast of Bushehr, and 14 foreign crew members from two Asian countries were apprehended." According to the fuel smuggling law, the ship's cargo will be handed over to the national petroleum refining and distribution company.

Earlier, on January 11, Iran's navy confiscated an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman waters following "a court order" authorizing the move, state media reported on Thursday.

"The Navy of the Islamic Republic of Iran captured an American oil tanker in the waters of the Gulf of Oman, in accordance with a court order," the official IRNA news agency said.

Iran releases Greek sailor who served on seized vessel St. Nikolas

A Greek sailor from the St. Nikolas crude oil tanker, previously known as the Suez Rajan, was released after Iranian forces, on January 11, took control of the tanker and brought it to the port of Bandar Abbas, in Iran.

Reportedly, Empire Navigation Inc., the owner of the tanker, said that Iranian authorities released a Greek cadet, noting that the other 18 Filipino nationals remain in custody on the ship.

"The remaining 18 seafarers, still onboard the vessel anchored at Bandar Abbas in Iran, are in good health and in contact with their families," the press release by Empire Navigation Inc. explained, before adding that "Empire Navigation Inc., managers of M/T St. Nikolas, reports with great pleasure the safe release of the youngest crew member onboard its seized vessel. The Greek cadet, escorted by the Greek Ambassador to Iran, is boarding a flight to return home."

Back in September, the United States Department of Justice (DoJ) confirmed that the US looted a tanker load of Iranian oil in April.

The DoJ's first official statement on the incident mentioned on its website that the government had seized the Suez Rajan, a Greek-managed tanker, and its cargo of 980,000 barrels of crude oil, allegedly being sold by Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) to China.

The statement claimed that the sale violated US and international sanctions and that the US government obtained a warrant early this year for its seizure.