Iran Seizes Foreign Tanker Over Alleged Fuel Smuggling

Iranian authorities have seized a foreign tanker in the Sea of Oman on suspicion of fuel smuggling, the country’s judiciary announced on Wednesday.

According to Mojtaba Ghahremani, head of the judiciary in southern Hormozgan province, the ship was detained after officials discovered “legal documents related to its cargo were found to be incomplete,” as reported by the judiciary’s Mizan Online outlet.

Ghahremani stated that the vessel was allegedly transporting “two million litres of smuggled fuel.”

“Seventeen suspects, including the captain and crew of the foreign tanker, have been taken into custody,” he added, though the nationalities and identities of the individuals were not disclosed.

Investigations are ongoing, with laboratory analysis and further document reviews underway to confirm the nature and legality of the cargo.

This latest seizure comes just months after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps intercepted two Tanzanian-flagged tankers accused of carrying 1.5 million litres of diesel in the Gulf. Those vessels—the Sea Ranger and Salama—with 25 foreign crew members, were later moved to the port of Bushehr for legal action.

Fuel smuggling remains a persistent issue in Iran, driven largely by heavily subsidised fuel prices that keep domestic rates among the cheapest globally.