Iran Seizes 'Foreign' Vessel in Persian Gulf
Iran has impounded another foreign ship in the Persian Gulf, Iran's state news agency IRNA reported on Sunday, the third such seizure in a month.
Citing Iran's Revolutionary Guards, the agency said the oil tanker was smuggling fuel to some Arab states.
A Guards commander was cited as saying that the ship was carrying 700,000 liters (185,000 gallons) of fuel when it was seized, close to the barren Farsi island.
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The Fars news agency said the tanker was captured on Wednesday.
IRNA said 7 crew on board were detained. No further details on the ship or the nationalities of the crew were given.
Tensions between Washington, Iran and its neighbors have hit new highs in recent months after the Islamic Republic threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil transportation route out of the Gulf.
Photo: DW
Several tankers detained
Last month, Iranian commandos seized a British-flagged tanker, and briefly detained a second vessel. The decision followed Britain's capture of an Iranian oil tanker near Gibraltar, accused of violating sanctions on Syria.
The US has also blamed Tehran for sabotage attacks on several other tankers in and around the Gulf during a standoff that saw Washington almost launch airstrikes on Iranian territory.
US President Donald Trump reimposed biting sanctions on Tehran after he pulled the country out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal last year, blaming the Islamic Republic for destabilizing the region.
Germany is considering proposals for a European-led maritime security mission in the Persian Gulf after Berlin rejected efforts for a US-led mission.
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