US Central Command: Iranian Forces Stopped and Inspected a Tanker in the Strait of Hormuz

CENTCOM has released a video showing Iranian forces seizing a Greek-flagged vessel in the Persian Gulf. According to the US, the ship was transiting through international waters. Iranian officials have not commented on the seizure of this vessel.

CENTCOM, the US Central Command in the Middle East and Central Asia, reported through a post on its Twitter social media account that Iranian forces stopped a tanker in international waters in the Persian Gulf and brought it under their control.

Reuters news agency reported, citing a US official, that the vessel was released after a brief stoppage, and American forces had no involvement in the incident and only monitored it.

Dryad Global, a website that monitors ship movements, reported that the stopped vessel was seized by Iranian forces after departing from Khor Fakkan port in the UAE.

CENTCOM in a Twitter post released Thursday morning, August 23 (August 12) wrote that the vessel is called “VILLA” and was moving under a Liberian flag.

CENTCOM explained that in the seizure of this vessel, “Iran regime forces” participated with two ships and two Iranian Sikorsky Sea King helicopters.

In a video released by CENTCOM, it is shown that Iranian forces landed on the deck of the ship after the helicopters approached it.

CENTCOM emphasized in its Twitter post that Iranian forces stopped the “VILLA” vessel in international waters.

Michael Visciola Beckman, a maritime expert, wrote in his Twitter post about this incident that the owners of this vessel are Greek companies. This expert also confirmed that the VILLA vessel was moving under a Liberian flag.

Iranian media and Iranian officials have not commented on this matter so far.

According to this expert, if this report is confirmed, it can be said that the tensions that occurred in the region a year ago with the seizure of a British tanker by Iranian forces have returned again.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps seized the British tanker “Stena Impero” last summer, which was owned by a Swedish company and was transiting under a British flag.

This incident occurred only two weeks after the seizure of an Iranian tanker by British naval forces near the waters of Gibraltar.

However, Iran had claimed that the “Stena Impero” tanker was seized due to maritime violations. The Islamic Republic of Iran later returned the seized British tanker in the Strait of Hormuz to Britain.

Source: DW