MSN
Iran’s naval forces on Thursday seized an oil tanker bound for Texas in the Gulf of Oman, a move that drew condemnation from the U.S. military at a time of heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy seized the tanker, Advantage Sweet, while it moved through international waters at 1:15 p.m. local time, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command said. The U.S. Fifth Fleet, which is tasked with monitoring maritime activity in the area, is monitoring the situation, according to U.S. naval forces.
Advantage Sweet had departed the Mina Saud port in Kuwait on Tuesday and was destined for Houston. The tanker issued a distress call during the seizure, U.S. naval forces said.
“Iran’s actions are contrary to international law and disruptive to regional security and stability,” the U.S. Naval Command said in a statement. “The Iranian government should immediately release the oil tanker.”
In a statement carried by Iranian state media, Iran said the tanker had collided with an Iranian vessel in the Persian Gulf, injuring several people and causing two crew members from the Iranian ship to go missing. Iran said the tanker then tried to escape and navigated through the Strait of Hormuz, but the Iranian Navy intercepted it in the Gulf of Oman and impounded the vessel…
