Iran’s Revolutionary Guard captures ship in Arabian Gulf.

Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Seizes Commercial Vessel in Arabian Gulf

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps made headlines once again as they seized a commercial vessel in the Arabian Gulf. This incident took place in international waters, raising concerns about maritime security.

“Possibly engaged in smuggling activity,” said United States Navy 5th Fleet spokesman Commander Tim Hawkins.

According to British maritime security company Ambrey, Iranian forces attempted to seize a small Tanzanian-flagged tanker near the Saudi Arabian port city of Dammam. This alarming incident occurred approximately 60 nautical miles northeast of the city.

The United States Navy, however, did not intervene in the situation immediately. Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder explained that there were doubts about the vessel’s operational activities, suggesting the potential for illegal oil smuggling.

“U.S. naval forces deployed maritime assets to closely monitor the situation,” assured Commander Hawkins. “Ultimately, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command assessed the circumstances and determined that further response was not warranted. Nevertheless, our forces remain vigilant and ready to protect the navigational rights of lawful maritime traffic in this critical region.”

Just the day before, the U.S. Navy successfully deterred Iranian forces from seizing two commercial tankers. In the first incident, an Iranian navy vessel approached the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker TRF Moss in the Gulf of Oman. However, the situation deescalated when the U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul arrived at the scene.

Approximately three hours later, another Iranian vessel began harassing the Bahamian-flagged oil tanker Richmond Voyager in international waters near the coast of Muscat, Oman. The Iranian forces even opened fire during their second seizure attempt, but fortunately, no injuries were reported. Once again, the presence of the USS McFaul deterred the Iranian vessel, forcing it to retreat.

These incidents are not isolated. Since the beginning of 2021, Iranian naval forces have harassed, attacked, or seized nearly 20 internationally flagged merchant vessels, according to the Fifth Fleet.

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