Iran seizes foreign tanker smuggling fuel in Gulf of Oman
The chief justice of Hormozgan Province said illicit smuggling of Iranian fuel takes place ‘in coordination’ with foreign countries
Iran has seized a foreign tanker in the Gulf of Oman on charges of illicit fuel smuggling and has detained its crew, according to the semi-official Mehr News Agency.
The vessel was smuggling two million liters of fuel, Chief Justice of Hormozgan Province Mojtaba Ghahremani told the outlet.
The vessel’s nationality and destination have not been disclosed yet.
“Following continued monitoring of suspicious fuel smuggling activities along Iran’s maritime borders in the Sea of Oman, enforcement agents inspected a foreign oil tanker. Due to incomplete legal documentation for its cargo, the vessel was seized on suspicion of carrying smuggled fuel,” the justice said.
He added that the judicial investigation into the matter is underway.
“Seventeen individuals, including the tanker's captain and crew, have been detained as part of the legal proceedings. Authorities are collecting evidence to determine the exact volume of the fuel cargo, conducting sampling and laboratory tests, and verifying the vessel’s documentation. The judicial authority will announce the outcome of the case once the investigation is complete,” Ghahremani went on to say.
“The actions of fuel smugglers who, in coordination with foreigners, attempt to plunder national capital will not remain hidden from the intelligence umbrella of the judicial system and bailiffs, and the punishment of perpetrators of such crimes, if proven, will be decisive and without leniency.”
This is not the first time Iran has accused smugglers of coordinating with western powers. In July 2023, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) accused the US Navy of cooperating with smugglers and preventing their capture.
Over the past few years, Iran has been working to counter rampant fuel smuggling to neighboring countries. Heavy subsidies and low fuel prices, a decline in the national currency, and continued US sanctions have made matters worse.
In early July this year, Washington imposed new sanctions on what it calls the Iranian “shadow fleet,” which it accuses of covertly delivering “billions” worth of oil in circumvention of US and western economic measures against Tehran.
The US State Department said that the Washington was “acting to stem the flow of revenue the Iranian regime uses to support terrorism abroad and oppress its own people.”
Ship tracking data revealed recently that Chinese imports of Iranian oil witnessed a significant jump in the month of June due to a surge in shipments prior to the recent war and a rise in demand from independent refineries.
On 25 June, US President Donald Trump said China could continue to purchase Iranian oil. However, US sanctions have continued despite initial speculation that they had been partially lifted.
Trump reinstated his “maximum pressure” policy on Iran upon entering office for his second term earlier this year, particularly cracking down hard on Iranian oil exports.