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Iran’s IRGC Seizes Two Foreign Tankers in Gulf Over Alleged Fuel Smuggling

Iran frames the operation as an anti-smuggling crackdown, a pattern that could cloud planned U.S.–Iran talks.

Overview

  • IRGC naval forces intercepted the vessels near Farsi Island and transferred them to Bushehr, Iranian state outlets reported.
  • Officials said the ships carried about 1 million liters of diesel linked to a smuggling network tracked for months.
  • Fifteen foreign crew members were detained and handed to judicial authorities, with their nationalities and the tankers’ flags not disclosed.
  • The seizures come after recent maritime run-ins, including IRGC approaches to a U.S.-linked tanker and a U.S. shoot-down of an Iranian drone.
  • Repeated interdictions in recent months have heightened concern over Gulf shipping security and could complicate talks expected in Oman.