Iranian forces have seized a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in international waters in the Gulf of Oman, the U.S. Navy and Iranian state media reported on April 27, the latest string of hijackings in the region began in 2019 after then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from a nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers.
Iranian state media said the Iranian army’s naval force seized the vessels after a collision with an Iranian boat. Two members of the boat's crew are missing, and several other crewmen were injured in the collision, state media said.
The U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet also reported the seizure but did not mention a collision. The 5th Fleet identified the tanker as the Advantage Sweet and said the seizure was carried out by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).
The Advantage Sweet issued a distress call at 1:15 p.m. local time while in international waters as Iran seized the vessel, the 5th Fleet said in a statement.
"Iran's actions are contrary to international law and disruptive to regional security and stability," the 5th Fleet said. "Iran should immediately release the oil tanker."
Tracking data from MarineTraffic.com showed it in the Gulf of Oman north of Muscat, capital of Oman, on April 27.
According to ship tracking data quoted by Reuters, the Advantage Sweet was chartered by oil company Chevron and last docked in Kuwait.
Chevron is aware of the situation and is in contact with the vessel operator "with the hope of resolving this situation as soon as possible," a company spokesperson said, according to Reuters.
The Marshall Islands Maritime Administrator also said it was aware of the situation and in communication with the vessel's owner/operator but declined to comment further, the news agency reported.
The vessel's destination was listed as the U.S. port of Houston, Texas, ship tracking data showed.
The 5th Fleet said the seizure was at least the fifth of a commercial vessel by Tehran in the last two years.
"Iran's continued harassment of vessels and interference with navigational rights in regional waters are a threat to maritime security and the global economy," it said.
Since Trump pulled the United States out of the deal in 2017, Washington has ratcheted up crippling sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program.
Last November, two Greek-flagged tankers were released by Iran after it had seized them several months earlier. Tehran took the ships hostage after the United States confiscated oil from an Iranian tanker near the Greek coast.
Talks to revive the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and the world powers have stalled since September over a range of issues, including Iran's violent crackdown on dissent, Tehran's sale of drones to Russia, and an acceleration of its nuclear program, which it claims is solely for civilian purposes.