Iran has seized another foreign ship accused of smuggling fuel, state media says
- The seizure, reported by state media, would make this the third vessel seized by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard in the past two weeks
- Local reports did not provide further details on the vessel or the nationality of the crew
Iranian forces seized a ship in the Persian Gulf suspected of carrying smuggled fuel, state media reported on Sunday, marking the Revolutionary Guard’s third seizure of a vessel in recent weeks and the latest show of strength by the paramilitary force amid a spike in regional tensions.
“This foreign vessel had received the fuel from other ships and was transferring it to Persian Gulf Arab states,” Fars quoted General Ramazan Zirahi, a Guard commander, as saying.
It was not immediately clear why a ship carrying Iranian fuel would transfer its cargo to energy exporting Gulf states, but smuggling has been a source of concern in Iran. Iranian media reported last month that some 8 million litres of government-subsidised Iranian fuel are smuggled daily to other countries where prices are much higher.
