U.S. Central Command on Sunday accused Iran of violating international law after confirming that Iranian forces boarded and seized a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker transiting international waters in the Strait of Hormuz on Nov. 14.

M/V Talara was seized after being boarded by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces who arrived by helicopter. IRGC operatives then steered the tanker to Iran’s territorial waters where the ship remains, CENTCOM said in a statement.

“Iran’s use of military forces to conduct an armed boarding and seizure of a commercial vessel in international waters constitutes a blatant violation of international law, undermining freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce,” the statement said.

It called on Tehran “to articulate to the international community the legal basis for its actions.”

CENTCOM added that U.S. forces “will continue to remain vigilant and work alongside our partners and allies to promote regional peace and stability.”

CENTCOM’s statement come a day after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said it had seized a Marshall Islands-flagged crude oil tanker, confirming earlier reports from maritime security firms and ship-tracking agencies.

According to the IRGC Navy, rapid-reaction units intercepted the vessel at 7:30 a.m. on Friday after receiving a judicial order to confiscate its cargo. The vessel was monitored, tracked, and subsequently detained by IRGC forces off the southern coast of Makran.

Previously, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) issued a warning advising ships to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity.

UKMTO received a report on Friday of an incident 20 nautical miles east of Khor Fakkan (Khawr Fakkan), prompting United Arab Emirates authorities to start investigations.

“The incident is believed to be state activity; the vessel is transiting towards Iranian territorial waters,” UKMTO stated in its advisory.

The vessel, owned by a Cyprus-based company, was en route from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Singapore when the incident occurred.