US Command: Iranian forces stopped and inspected an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz

CENTCOM has released footage showing Iranian forces seizing a Greek ship in the Persian Gulf. The US says the ship was traveling in international waters. Iranian officials have not commented on the seizure.

CENTCOM, the US Middle East and Central Asia Command, has posted a video on its Twitter account reporting that Iranian forces have stopped and taken control of an oil tanker in international waters in the Persian Gulf.

Reuters news agency reported, citing a US official, that the ship was released after a temporary stop, and that US forces had not interfered with it and had only monitored it.

The Dryad Global website, which monitors ship traffic, reported that the stalled ship was seized by Iranian forces after leaving the port of Khorfakkan in the UAE.

Centcom wrote in a Twitter post published on Thursday morning, August 12, that the ship was named "Villa" and was sailing under the Liberian flag.

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

A video released by CENTCOM shows Iranian forces landing on the ship's deck after helicopters approached it.

CENTCOM confirmed in its Twitter post that Iranian forces stopped the ship "Villa" in international waters.

Maritime expert Michel Vissi Bookman wrote on Twitter about the incident that the ship was owned by Greek companies. The expert also confirmed that the Villa was sailing under the Liberian flag.

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

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

Last summer, the Revolutionary Guards seized the British tanker Stena Impero, which was owned by a Swedish company and flying the British flag.

This incident occurred just two weeks after British naval forces seized an Iranian tanker near the waters of Gibraltar.

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

Source: DW