Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) seized two foreign oil tankers in the Persian Gulf on Monday, accusing them of smuggling diesel fuel.
According to the IRGC, the tankers — Star 1 and Vintage — were carrying more than three million liters (792,516 US gallons) of diesel. The IRGC said the vessels were intercepted in the central Gulf and are being transferred to Bushehr port in Iran under a judicial order.
“These two tankers were systematically engaged in fuel smuggling and were identified through intelligence monitoring by IRGC naval forces,” read a statement by the IRGC.
The Star 1 is a Panama-flagged general cargo ship. No details have been released about the Vintage. The oil tankers were reportedly carrying a total of 25 crew members. Their nationalities have not been disclosed.
This is the latest in a series of Iranian tanker seizures. In April 2023, Iran captured the Advantage Sweet, a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker, after it allegedly struck an Iranian vessel. In January 2024, it seized the St. Nikolas in response to a U.S. confiscation of Iranian oil. Iran often cites fuel smuggling or maritime violations to justify these actions.
The recent news comes after the U.S. and Iran traded threats and accusations over Iran’s nuclear program and its alleged support for the militant group Houthis.
