At issue will be a tanker with flag of the Marshall Islandscalled “Talara”which sailed through the Strait of Hormuz. The ship left Ajman, in the United Arab Emirates, bound for Singapore.
A tanker sailing through the Strait of Hormuz suddenly changed course towards Iranian territorial waters this Friday, revealed a British military body, which warned of the possibility of having been taken over by Iran.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center (UKMTO) admitted the possibility of the ship was affected by “state activity”according to the North American news agency The Associated Press (AP).
The UKMTO’s warning comes after a private security company said it small boats had intercepted the ship moments before changing course.
Iran did not recognize the incident, which occurred off the coast of the United Arab Emirates.
Tehran has seized ships in the past, during times of tension with the West.
Details provided by the UKMTO and private security firm Ambrey amount to a tanker with flag of the Marshall Islandscalled “Talara”.
“Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to the UKMTO”, warned the British body in a security alert on its website consulted by Lusa.
The ship left Ajman, in the United Arab Emirates, bound for Singapore.
Oil tanker suddenly turned towards Iran
Ship tracking data analyzed by the AP showed that the tanker suddenly turned towards Iranwithout explanation.
The ship’s Greek owners did not respond to requests for comment.
A US Navy drone flew over the area where the “Talara” was located, but the US fleet in Bahrain did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the AP.
The US Navy accused Iran of a series of mine attacks on ships that damaged oil tankers in 2019.
It also accused Tehran of a drone attack on a tanker linked to Israel, which killed two European crew members in 2021.
The attacks began after President Donald Trump had The United States unilaterally withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal with world powers, in the first term.
The last major seizure occurred when the Iran seized two Greek tankers in May 2022 and retained them until November of that year.
These attacks were eventually eclipsed by attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthis who targeted ships during the war in the Gaza Strip, which drastically reduced shipping in the Red Sea corridor.
The years of tension between Iran and the Westtogether with the situation in the Gaza Strip, culminated in a 12-day war in June between Iran and Israel.
During that war, the United States also bombed Iranian nuclear facilities.
The UKMTO, created by the British Royal Navy to help combat piracy, acts as a point of contact between merchant ships and military forces in the Arabian Sea, Red Sea and Persian Gulf.
