Iran’s Navy has seized an “offending Marshall Islands-flagged” ship in the Sea of Oman, after it allegedly collided with an Iranian boat and attempted to flee the scene, according to Islamic Republic News Agency IRNA.
“The seizure came after an unknown tanker collided with an Iranian vessel late on Wednesday in the Persian Gulf, causing several Iranian crew members to go missing and get injured,” as the news agency reports citing sources from Iran´s military. The news agency didn’t reveal the name of the vessel in its report on April 27.
It added that “the Iranian naval forces had later intercepted the fleeing ship in the Sea of Oman and directed it toward Iran’s coastal waters.”
The United States Navy confirmed in a statement earlier Thursday that the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker “Advantage Sweet” was seized on Thursday at approximately 1:15 p.m. 1ocal time, by the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy, while transiting international waters in the Gulf of Oman. The oil tanker issued a distress call during the seizure. “The U.S. 5th Fleet is monitoring the situation,” it said.
“Iran’s actions are contrary to international law and disruptive to regional security and stability. The Iranian government should immediately release the oil tanker. Iran’s continued harassment of vessels and interference with navigational rights in regional waters are a threat to maritime security and the global economy. In the past two years, Iran has unlawfully seized at least five commercial vessels sailing in the Middle East”, the U.S Navy says in the statement.
Marine Traffic reported in its site about the latest position of the vessel “Advantage Sweet” that is “out-of-range.”
