An oil tanker formerly involved in a dispute between Iran and the United States, known as the Suez Rajan and later identified as the St. Nikolas, was boarded in the Gulf of Oman by unauthorized individuals in military uniforms, on 11th January.
As informed, the incident occurred between Oman and Iran, and suspicion immediately fell on Iran. The ship had been seized by the U.S. Justice Department in a yearlong dispute involving the confiscation of 1 million barrels of Iranian crude oil. The situation adds to heightened tensions in the Middle East, with recent attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on shipping in the Red Sea.
The recent seizure of a vessel in the tense Middle East waterways has left many details unclear. This apparent seizure occurs amid a series of attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who are backed by Iran, on shipping in the Red Sea. The rebels launched their largest barrage of drones, raising concerns about possible retaliatory actions by U.S.-led forces patrolling the crucial waterway.
The tanker was loading crude oil off the city of Basra, Iraq, destined for Aliaga, Turkey, for the Turkish refinery firm Tupras. Satellite-tracking data indicated the tanker had turned and headed toward the port of Bandar-e Jask in Iran.
According to the Associated Press, UKMTO said Thursday’s apparent seizure began early in the morning, in the waters between Oman and Iran in an area transited by ships coming in and out of the Strait of Hormuz, following a report received from the ship’s security manager of hearing “unknown voices over the phone” alongside with the ship’s captain. It said that further efforts to contact the ship had failed and that the men who boarded the vessel wore “black military-style uniforms with black masks.”
The private security firm Ambrey said that “four to five armed persons” boarded the ship, which it identified as the oil tanker St. Nikolas. It said that the men had covered the surveillance cameras as they boarded.
Previously named the Suez Rajan, associated with Greek shipping company Empire Navigation, the vessel gained attention in February 2022 when suspicions arose that it carried oil from Iran’s Khargh Island. The ship spent months in the South China Sea before sailing to the Texas coast and discharging its cargo in Houston in August as part of a Justice Department order.
Following the vessel’s journey to America as the Suez Rajan, Iran seized two tankers near the Strait of Hormuz, including one carrying cargo for major U.S. oil company Chevron Corp. The Revolutionary Guard’s naval arm top commander had previously threatened further action against anyone offloading the Suez Rajan, with state media linking recent seizures to the cargo’s fate.
Since the collapse of Iran’s nuclear deal, the region around the Strait of Hormuz has witnessed ship seizures and assaults attributed to Iran by the Navy. Tensions have also centered on Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea. The U.S. and its allies have been seizing Iranian oil cargoes since 2019, resulting in attacks in the Middle East attributed to Iran and ship seizures by Iranian military and paramilitary forces threatening global shipping.
Houthi attacks are purportedly aimed at stopping the suffering of Palestinians in Israel’s conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip. However, the rebels have increasingly targeted ships with limited or no ties to Israel.