Iran has seized a foreign tanker accused of smuggling two million litres of fuel through the Gulf of Oman, a regional justice chief said, according to Mehr news agency.
Seventeen crew members were arrested and a judicial case was opened at the Jask county prosecutor’s office, Hormozgan’s chief justice Mojtaba Ghahremani said.
“During the continuous process of monitoring and surveilling suspicious fuel smuggling movements in the Gulf of Oman, officers inspected a foreign tanker due to its lack of legal documents regarding its cargo and seized it on charges of carrying 2 million litres of smuggled fuel,” he added.
The Gulf of Oman, southwest of Iran, is a vital shipping route for oil produced around the Persian Gulf.
It is linked to the Persian Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world’s total oil supply passes.
As the only maritime access from the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea to the Persian Gulf, security in the Gulf of Oman is a major concern for both oil importers and exporters.
In the past Iran has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz but has never followed through on the move, which would restrict trade and impact global oil prices.
“The actions of fuel smugglers, who in coordination with foreigners, attempt to plunder national wealth will not remain hidden from the judiciary and punishment of perpetrators, if their crimes are proven, will be without leniency,” Mr Ghahremani said.
The name of the tanker and its registered flag have not yet been disclosed. While this information can help identify the ship’s country of origin and its owners, vessels often register under foreign flags to avoid identification or bypass regulations.
Fuel smuggling is an increasing problem for Iran, which has some of the world’s lowest fuel prices due to subsidies and a sharp decline in the value of its national currency
Three vessels, two in 2023 and one in 2024, were seized by Iran near or in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Reuters. Some of the seizures followed US seizures of tankers related to Iran.
