ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) on Sunday condemned Iran for the “illegal” seizure of a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker transiting international waters in the Strait of Hormuz two days earlier, calling on Tehran to “articulate to the international community” the legal basis for its actions.
The motor vessel Talara “was seized after being boarded by [Iran’s] Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces who arrived by helicopter,” CENTCOM said in a statement, adding that "IRGC operatives then steered the tanker to Iran’s territorial waters where the ship remains."
CENTCOM denounced “Iran’s use of military forces to conduct an armed boarding and seizure of a commercial vessel in international waters” as “a blatant violation of international law, undermining freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce.”
“We call on Iran to articulate to the international community the legal basis for its actions.”
British maritime security firm Ambrey reported Friday that the Talara, sailing from the United Arab Emirates to Singapore, unexpectedly changed course in the Strait of Hormuz toward Iranian waters after being approached by three small boats while transiting southbound.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center described the tanker’s movement as “suspicious.”
Tehran on Saturday confirmed the seizure. The IRGC said in a statement the vessel was “in violation of the law by carrying unauthorized cargo,” without providing details.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, carrying a major share of global oil and liquified natural gas shipments. Iran has repeatedly seized ships there, including a vessel last year it said was linked to Israel.
Following the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June, Iranian lawmaker Esmaeil Kowsari told Tehran’s state-run news channel, Press TV, that Iran was considering closing the strategic waterway in response to Israeli military actions.
Iran's recurring seizures or stoppages of tankers in the Strait of Hormuz are widely seen as strategic, tit-for-tat measures intended to exert leverage against crippling US sanctions and the seizure of Iranian oil shipments by Western states, which Tehran calls "piracy."
Officially, Iran often cites judicial orders or alleged maritime law violations. However, such actions have in the past served broader purposes, including pressure to unfreeze Iranian assets and demonstrating capability to disrupt traffic in the critical Strait of Hormuz - and, accordingly, global commerce - in response to sustained economic pressure.
CENTCOM said Sunday that US forces “will continue to remain vigilant and work alongside our partners and allies to promote regional peace and stability.”
Comments
Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.
To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.
We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.
Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.
Post a comment