Iran seized two foreign oil tankers in the Persian Gulf on Thursday and accused them of smuggling fuel and detaining 15 foreign crew members ahead of Friday’s high-stakes US-Iran talks in Oman.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said it intercepted the two ships near Farsi Island and claimed they were carrying around 1 million liters of smuggled fuel. Reuters reported.
According to Iranian state media, the crew, consisting of fifteen foreigners, were taken into custody and referred to Iran’s judicial authorities.
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Iran seized two oil tankers on Thursday, while former Iranian minister Ezzatollah Zarghami threatened to make the Strait of Hormuz a “bloodbath and hell” for US forces. (Giuseppe Cacace/AFP via Getty Images)
The IRGC alleged that the ships were part of an organized fuel smuggling network that had been operating in the region for several months.
Iranian officials said the ships were identified through intelligence searches and seized during coordinated naval operations in the Persian Gulf, a vital artery for global energy markets.
According to The Jerusalem PostIranian authorities described the operation as a significant blow to the illicit fuel trade, although they did not immediately reveal the ships’ nationalities or destinations.
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Iran seized two foreign oil tankers in the Persian Gulf on Thursday, reportedly carrying 1 million liters of smuggled fuel. (Giuseppe Cacace/AFP via Getty Images)
The seizures come as Iranian rhetoric toward the US has grown hostile.
Ezzatollah Zarghami, a former Iranian minister and former head of the state broadcaster, warned and threatened violence in the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of global oil and petroleum product consumption passes.
“I am sure that the Strait of Hormuz will be the place of carnage and hell for the US,” Zarghami said on Thursday.
“Iran will show that the Strait of Hormuz has historically belonged to Iran. All the Americans can think about is playing with their ships and moving them from one place to another.”
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US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will meet with Iranian officials in Oman on Friday. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Zarghami later reiterated the threat, calling the Strait a potential “killing field” for US forces and signaling Iran’s willingness to escalate under mounting regional pressure.
Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will meet with Iranian officials in Oman on Friday.
The pair are traveling from Abu Dhabi after two days of talks on Russia and Ukraine.
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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Thursday that Friday’s talks were still ongoing and stated that “diplomacy is always important.” [Trump’s] first option.”
