Iran has seized two foreign oil tankers, its state media reported on Friday, as tensions between the United States and the Islamic Republic in the Gulf continue.
The official Islamic Republic News Agency reported that the navy of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced Thursday it had captured two foreign oil tankers in the Persian Gulf that were carrying 400,000 gallons of smuggled fuel. The tankers, the Steven and the Crown, and were flying under the flags of Panama and Tanzania, IRNA reported. Both ships' crews, 37 people in total, were arrested.
Al-Monitor was unable to find ships matching their description in shipping databases.
Why it matters: Iran has seized several tankers in recent months for alleged smuggling activities. In July, the IRGC seized a ship it said was smuggling fuel in the Persian Gulf. The same month, the US Navy said it thwarted attempts by Iran to seize two commercial tankers in the Gulf of Oman.
