IRGC Seizes Tanker Alleged to Carry 4 Million Litres of Smuggled Fuel, Detains 16 Foreign Crew

Overview

• IRGC Navy Region 1 commander Abbas Gholamshahi said the ship had taken on more than 4 million litres from smaller vessels for onward transfer outside the Gulf.
• State media reported the boarding occurred in or near Iranian territorial waters in the Persian Gulf as the vessel was leaving the area.
• The tanker’s flag was not disclosed in official reports, and independent public confirmation of the seizure remains limited.
• Authorities said the fuel cargo would be confiscated and handled under Iranian law while investigators map related smuggling networks.
• The operation is the latest in a series of IRGC interdictions reported in recent weeks, including earlier seizures in the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz.