Iranian-backed forces are believed to have seized an oil tanker in the Gulf off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, three maritime security sources said, after Britain’s maritime trade agency reported a “possible hijacking” in the area on Tuesday. .
Iran’s senior armed forces spokesman Abolfazl Shekharchi described reports of maritime incidents and kidnappings in the Gulf region as “a kind of psychological warfare and setting the stage for new bouts of adventurism”, the Fars news agency said.
Two maritime sources identified the seized vessel as the Panama-flagged asphalt/bitumen tanker Asphalt Princess, an area in the Arabian Sea headed to the Strait of Hormuz that accounts for about a fifth of the world’s maritime oil exports .
The US State Department said it was concerned and was looking into reports of a maritime incident in the Gulf of Oman, but it was too early to make a decision. A spokesman said Britain’s foreign ministry was “immediately investigating” the incident on board a ship off the coast of the United Arab Emirates.
US officials said on condition of anonymity that the United States military was considering replacing at least one vessel in the general vicinity of the Asphalt Princess to keep a close eye.
Officials said this would not be unusual and that the situation would have to be monitored rather than any imminent military move.
Tensions have risen in the region after an attack on an Israeli-managed tanker off the Omani coast last week that killed two crew members and blamed Iran by the United States, Israel and Britain. Iran has denied responsibility.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), in a warning notice based on a third-party source, had previously reported a “possible hijacking” and that ships were cautioned about 60 nautical miles east of Fujairah, UAE. was advised. Emirates
kidnapping report
The Times of London newspaper also reported that the Asphalt Princess had been abducted, citing British sources as saying they were “acting on the assumption that Iranian forces or proxies had boarded the ship”. read more
Officials from the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet and the United Arab Emirates did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Pointing to reports, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister told a US think tank in an online presence that he sees an upbeat Iran acting negatively in the region, including by shipping threats. L1N2PA1RV
At least five ships at sea between the UAE and Iran updated their AIS tracking status to “Not Under Command” on Tuesday, according to Refinitiv ship tracking data. Such a condition generally indicates that a ship is unable to maneuver due to exceptional circumstances.
Noor News, affiliated with Iran’s top national security body, quoted a senior naval official as saying, “The movement of commercial vessels is quite normal and no official naval sources or countries have reported any incidents in the Persian Gulf. “
Iran’s foreign ministry said reports of maritime incidents were “suspicious” and warned against any attempt to create a “false atmosphere” against Tehran. read more
The United States and Britain said on Sunday they would work with their allies to respond to last week’s attack on Mercer Street, a Liberia-flagged, Japanese-owned petroleum products tanker managed by Israeli-owned Zodiac Marine.
Iran denied any involvement in that suspected drone strike and said it would respond to any threats to its security.
Britain, Romania and Liberia told the UN Security Council on Tuesday it was “highly likely” that Iran used one or more drones to carry out a deadly tanker attack off the coast of Oman last week Ho. read more
US officials have said privately that they are watching the situation closely, but do not expect a military response for now.
Tensions have risen in Gulf waters and between Iran and Israel since 2018, when then-President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with six world powers and reimposed sanctions. which has paralyzed its economy.
Longtime rivals Iran and Israel have exchanged allegations of attacks on each other’s ships in recent months.
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