Key Points
- Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps navy seized two foreign‑flagged oil tankers in the Persian Gulf, accusing them of smuggling more than one million litres of fuel
- The vessels were intercepted near Farsi Island and moved to the southern port of Bushehr, with 15 foreign crew members referred to judicial authorities
- Iran has periodically detained oil‑carrying ships on similar charges, amid broader regional maritime tensions and disputes over security in Gulf waterways
ISLAMABAD: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Thursday that its naval forces have seized two foreign oil tankers in the Gulf waters, Iranian state media reported, claiming the vessels were involved in fuel smuggling, according to the Turkish news agency Anadolu.
IRGC’s public relations wing said the tankers were intercepted in waters near Farsi Island off the coast of Bushehr Province. Authorities said the ships were found to be carrying over one million litres of “smuggled fuel,” including diesel, and were subsequently escorted to the port of Bushehr for legal processing.
Fifteen crew members aboard the two tankers, described as foreign nationals, have been handed over to judicial bodies to face legal procedures. Iranian officials did not disclose the nationalities of the vessels or their crews.
State television reports say the seizures were the result of surveillance, tracking, and intelligence operations by the IRGC navy, which alleged that the vessels had been part of an organised network engaged in fuel smuggling over recent months.
Iran occasionally detains or seizes oil-carrying ships in the region, citing similar allegations of Smuggling. Recent incidents have involved foreign-flagged tankers accused of transporting fuel without proper documentation or in breach of Iranian laws, adding to ongoing maritime legal and diplomatic tensions in the strategic Gulf shipping routes.
