shipping
Iran seizes tankers in the Gulf of Oman
The crude oil tanker “St. Nikolas” is said to have been traveling at high speed towards Iran. photo
© Dietmar Hasenpusch/Photo Productions/dpa
Since the outbreak of the Gaza war, tensions on important sea routes have also increased. While the Houthi rebels are targeting Israeli ships, Iran’s navy is also taking drastic action.
Iran’s navy has seized an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman. The The state news agency Irna reported that the ship was confiscated on the instructions of the judiciary. The Islamic Republic accused the tanker “St. Nikolas” of stealing Iranian oil. The ship was ultimately directed towards an Iranian port.
The “St. Nikolas” was at the center of a dispute between Tehran and the USA last year. The ship, formerly registered as Suez Rajan, was detained by the US in 2023 following allegations of sanctions violations.
Tanker with AIS switched off and increased speed
According to British company Ambrey, which provides information and solutions for risk management in international shipping, the tanker’s Automatic Identification System was switched off. The ship is traveling towards Iran at increased speed.
The gunmen who came on board were reportedly wearing black military uniforms and black masks, it said. Ambrey also stated that it was a tanker whose cargo was confiscated in the USA because it had loaded Iranian oil in violation of sanctions.
The Greek shipping company Empire Navigation in Athens had previously confirmed to the German Press Agency the hijacking of the Greek tanker flying the Marshall Islands flag in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday. There is said to be a crew of 19 on board the “St. Nikolas”, including 18 sailors from the Philippines and one Greek. The ship had previously picked up oil in Basra, Iraq, and was on its way to the Suez Canal and then on to the Turkish port city of Aliaga, it said.
UKMTO report on the incident
The British merchant shipping organization UKMTO tweeted that the ship was about 50 nautical miles east of the Omani port city of Sohar when four or five hooded men in black military clothing boarded the tanker. Contact with the “St. Nikolas” was then broken off. The ship changed course and is now heading towards Iranian waters.
The US accuses the Iranian navy of obstructing civilian shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and the adjacent Gulf of Oman. There have been repeated incidents with oil tankers in the past. In particular, the Strait of Hormuz, an approximately 55 kilometer wide strait between Iran and Oman, is considered one of the most important shipping routes for global oil exports.
Since the Gaza war broke out at the beginning of October, tensions in the region have increased significantly, including on the sea routes. In particular, the Iran-allied Houthi rebels in Yemen have repeatedly attacked tankers on their way to Israel in recent weeks. Large shipping companies are increasingly avoiding the Red Sea route, the shortest sea route between Asia and Europe. Iran’s navy recently sent a frigate.