published by, Saurabh Verma
Last Update: April 28, 2023, 8:18 PM IST
The latest seizure comes just days after Tehran’s Western rivals tightened sanctions on Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. (Photo: AP)
The operator said in a statement that the Marshall Islands-flagged Advantage Suite was being towed by Iran’s navy to an undisclosed port because of an “international dispute”.
A US oil tanker seized by Iran off the coast of Oman with 24 Indian crew on board was working to secure their release, the ship’s operator said on Friday.
Previous incidents suggest there is “no danger” to crew caught in similar incidents, Advantage Tankers told AFP after the tanker was seized on Thursday.
The Marshall Islands-flagged Advantage Suite was being towed to an undisclosed port by Iran’s navy due to an “international dispute,” the operator said in a statement.
“The Advantage Suite is currently being towed to a port by the Iranian Navy on the basis of an international dispute,” Advantage Tankers said in a statement sent to AFP.
“Similar experiences show that there is no danger to the crew members of the ships under such circumstances,” adding that the company was “in close contact with all appropriate authorities to secure the release of the crew and ship”.
Iran said it had collided with one of its ships, leaving two Iranian crew members missing and several others injured.
The Islamic Republic has not yet released any details on the status or nationality of any other crew involved.
The US Navy demanded the immediate release of the ship, slamming Iran’s “continued harassment” in Gulf waters.
A spokesman for Advantage Tankers said the vessel carried oil from Kuwait and was chartered by Chevron Corp. It was bound for Houston, Texas, according to the MarineTraffic tracking website.
Thursday’s seizure was the latest disruptive incident in the sensitive waters of the Gulf, which carry about a third of the world’s marine oil.
Such incidents have increased since 2018, when the US withdrew from the multinational agreement that had curbed Iran’s nuclear program. Marathon talks to restart the accord have stalled.
The latest seizure comes just days after Tehran’s Western rivals tightened sanctions on Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)