Iran's Navy seized an oil tanker in international waters in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday, the US Navy's Fifth Fleet said.
The US Navy initially said naval forces of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) seized the vessel, named Advantage Sweet, at roughly 1:15 p.m. local time, adding that the ship's crew issued a distress call during the incident.
"Iran's actions are contrary to international law and disruptive to regional security and stability. The Iranian government should immediately release the oil tanker," the Fifth Fleet's statement read.
Following the statement, Fifth Fleet spokesperson Cdr. Tim Hawkins said Iran's navy was behind the seizure, not the IRGC, as initially stated.
