U.S. Says Iran Forces Boarded Tanker in International Waters
Iranian forces used two ships and a helicopter to board a tanker in international waters, U.S. Central Command said.
(Bloomberg) -- Iranian forces boarded a small tanker in international waters for several hours, serving the world a reminder of tensions in the region that flared up last year and embroiled merchant shipping.
The Wila was in the Gulf of Oman, roughly 20 miles from the United Arab Emirates, when it was boarded for about five hours late Wednesday afternoon, according to a U.S. government official with knowledge of the matter. It navigated the Strait of Hormuz, a choke-point for about one-third of the world’s seaborne oil on its way out of the Persian Gulf, ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg show.
The ship in question is tiny -- it has a carrying capacity about 98% smaller than the giant supertankers that routinely plow through the vital maritime corridor -- but the boarding evokes memories of a spate of attacks on merchant shipping last year that even saw Britain and Iran engage in tit-for-tat vessel seizures at one point.
Two Iranian ships were in the vicinity of the Wila, a Liberian-flagged chemicals and oil-products tanker, when personnel roped down from helicopters, the U.S.-led coalition force International Maritime Security Construct said in a statement.
While Iran regularly intercepts ships that it alleges have entered its waters or are illegally smuggling fuel, the incident comes as U.S. President Donald Trump looks to tighten United Nations sanctions on the Islamic Republic and renew an arms embargo. It’s still unclear why the carrier was boarded and Iran hasn’t formally acknowledged that the incident took place.
“Maritime harassments are really the only stick with which Iran can beat its opponents,” said Munro Anderson, a partner at maritime security firm Dryad Global. “It has few levers of influence and treads a fine line when it antagonizes states in the region and the U.S.”
An IMSC vessel monitored the incident and did not receive a distress call, according to its statement. “We call on Iran to articulate to the international community the legal basis for its actions. This type of reckless, aggressive behavior by Iran destabilizes the region and threatens the rules based international order,” the IMSC said.
U.S. Central Command tweeted footage of the event on Wednesday. The White House and National Security Council didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. Neither did officials in Iran during the country’s weekend on Thursday.
Wila is now near Khor Fakkan port in the U.A.E., according to the ship-tracking data. The vessel’s previous stop was around July 8 near the Iraqi oil terminal of Basra. There, its draft increased, indicating it picked up cargo.
Wila can haul about 50,000 barrels of fuel. Supertankers operating in the region can usually carry 2 million barrels or more.
A larger oil ship anchored off Khor Fakkan sailed to Iran in July under mysterious circumstances. The crew of the 1-million-barrel Gulf Sky said it was hijacked. It left UAE waters on July 5 while under arrest pending a court decision on its ownership.
In May, the U.S. intercepted $23.4 million in payments from an entity it said was acting on behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ elite Quds Force to buy the Gulf Sky. It was the largest U.S. seizure of funds from the organization. The disappearance of the Gulf Sky dealt a blow to the U.S.’s efforts to contain Iran’s activities beyond its borders.
Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign aims to cut off Iran’s oil exports, a crucial source of revenue.
Venezuela Ties
Iran has been accused of disrupting oil shipping near the Strait of Hormuz on several occasions in the past few years. Four oil vessels were attacked with explosives in May 2019 while at anchorage off Fujairah, less than 15 miles from Khor Fakkan. Two more were sabotaged in the Gulf of Oman in June. Iran was blamed for the incidents but denied involvement.
The country’s navy seized a British oil tanker in the strait last year for about two months, triggering volatility in oil prices.
The U.S. has recently stepped up efforts to limit trade between Iran and Venezuela, which is also under American sanctions. Five Iranian tankers carrying a total of 1.5 million barrels of gasoline arrived in Venezuela in May and June. U.S. prosecutors last month said they’re seeking to seize gasoline on board four more Venezuela-bound Iranian vessels.
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