On May 3 at approximately 6:20 a.m. local time, Panama-flagged oil tanker Niovi was seized by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) while transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
The oil tanker Niovi departed Dubai and was transiting from the Arabian Gulf toward the port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates when a dozen Navy of the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution (IRGCN) fast-attack craft swarmed the vessel in the middle of the strait. The IRGCN subsequently forced the oil tanker to reverse course and head toward Iranian territorial waters off the coast of Bandar ‘Abbas, Iran.
Just last week, Iran has seized a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker M/T Advantage Sweet (IMO 9587192) in the Gulf of Oman while it was in transit in international waters. According to U.S. Naval Forces 5th Command, Iran’s actions are contrary to international law and disruptive to regional security and stability.
Over the past two years, Iran has harassed, attacked or interfered with the navigational rights of 15 internationally flagged merchant vessels. This has previously been seen with the Iranian detention of both the Stena Impero (UK) and Hankuk Chemi (South Korea) the former in retaliation for the detention of the Grace 1 and the later the result of South Korea freezing assets and funds related to Iran.
Watch relevant video at the following link.