Iran’s Revolutionary Guards confirmed on Saturday that they had seized a tanker in the Gulf waters transporting petrochemicals bound for Singapore due to alleged violations, as reported by Iranian state media. The vessel, named the Talara and flying the flag of the Marshall Islands, was carrying high-sulfur gas oil from Sharjah in the U.A.E. to Singapore when it was intercepted and diverted into Iranian territorial waters by Iranian forces. The incident marked the first tanker seizure by Tehran since the Israeli-U.S. strikes on Iran in June.
A statement from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was read on Iranian state television, indicating that the tanker was deemed in violation for carrying unauthorized cargo, without specifying the exact nature of the alleged violations. The ship’s manager, Columbia Shipmanagement, reported losing contact with the Talara when it was around 20 nautical miles off the coast of Khor Fakkan, U.A.E., and stated that efforts were underway to reestablish communication with the vessel.
The tanker, owned by Pasha Finance based in Cyprus, had been sailing in the waters off the United Arab Emirates before being intercepted. The U.S. military acknowledged the incident and stated that they were actively monitoring the situation. Iranian actions of seizing commercial vessels in the Gulf have been sporadic in recent years, with reasons ranging from alleged smuggling to technical infractions or legal disputes. The U.S. official, speaking on anonymity, expressed surprise at the event, noting that Iran had refrained from such actions in recent months following the Israeli bombing campaign in June that was supported by the United States. Iran’s last reported seizure of a vessel prior to this incident was in April 2024.
