US Central Command said that its forces monitored an incident related to Iranian forces illegally boarding a tanker flying the flag of the Marshall Islands while it was crossing international waters in the Strait of Hormuz, on November 14.
She confirmed that “the Talara oil tanker was seized after the Revolutionary Guard forces boarded it, and they arrived by helicopter.” Members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard then drove the tanker to Iranian territorial waters, where it remains detained.
She added in a statement today, Sunday, that “Iran’s use of military forces to board a commercial ship and confiscate it in international waters constitutes a flagrant violation of international law, and undermines freedom of navigation and the free flow of trade. We call on Iran to clarify the legal basis for its actions to the international community.”
US Central Command continued: “US forces will continue to remain vigilant and work side by side with our partners and allies to promote regional peace and stability.”
Why did Iran seize a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz?
In turn, the public relations of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s Naval Force announced that the Talara oil tanker was stopped by fighters of the Naval Force within the framework of protecting the interests and resources of the Iranian people.
She explained that the rapid response units of the Revolutionary Guard Naval Force, on Friday morning, based on a judicial order to arrest a shipment, monitored the movements of the Talara oil tanker flying the flag of the Marshall Islands, then tracked and successfully arrested it.
She explained that the tanker was carrying 30,000 tons of petrochemical materials bound for Singapore, and it was directed to the competent anchor to take legal measures regarding the violations.
The Navy confirmed that the operation was carried out in accordance with legal duties to preserve the interests and resources of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and by order of the judicial authorities, noting that the accurate announcement of the details of the operation required examining the shipment and inspecting the tanker and its documents, and investigations confirmed that the tanker was in violation of the transport of unauthorized goods.
