The seizure occurred on November 14, and Tehran has been more and more warning it might strike again after a 12-day warfare with Israel in June that noticed the U.S. strike Iranian nuclear websites. Representational file picture. | Photo Credit: Reuters
A report by the official Irna information company carried a press release by the Revolutionary Guard that stated the tanker was taken to Iranian waters. It didn’t elaborate on the “unlawful consignment,” the crew or say the place the ship was now heading.
It stated the seizure got here following a courtroom order, and the operation was geared toward “defending Iran’s nationwide pursuits and assets.” It recognized the oil tanker because the Talara and stated it was carrying 30,000 tons of petrochemical merchandise.
The seizure occurred on Friday (November 14, 2025). Tehran has been more and more warning it might strike again after a 12-day warfare with Israel in June that noticed the U.S. strike Iranian nuclear websites.
It stated the ship had been en path to Singapore when Iranian forces intercepted it. A non-public safety agency, Ambrey, described the assault as involving three small boats.
A U.S. Navy MQ-4C Triton drone had been circling above the world the place the Talara was for hours on Friday (November 14, 2025) observing the seizure, flight-tracking knowledge analyzed by The Associated Press confirmed.
The British Military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations middle individually acknowledged the incident, saying a potential “state exercise” compelled the Talara to show into Iranian territorial waters.
Cyprus-based Columbia Shipmanagement later stated in a press release that it had “misplaced contact” with the tanker, which was carrying excessive sulphur gasoil. It didn’t instantly present any replace on Saturday (November 15, 2025).
Iran has been blamed for a collection of limpet mine assaults on vessels that broken tankers in 2019, in addition to for a drone assault on an Israeli-linked oil tanker that killed two European crew members in 2021. Those assaults started after U.S. President Donald Trump, in his first time period in workplace, unilaterally withdrew from Iran’s 2015 nuclear take care of world powers.
In 2022, Iran took two Greek tankers and held them till November of that yr. Iran seized the Portuguese-flagged cargo ship MSC Aries in April 2024.
Years of tensions between Iran and the West, coupled with the state of affairs within the Gaza Strip, exploded right into a full-scale 12-day warfare in June.
Tehran has lengthy threatened to shut off the Strait of Hormuz, the slender mouth of the Persian Gulf via which 20% of all traded oil passes. The U.S. Navy has lengthy patrolled the Mideast via its Bahrain-based fifth Fleet to maintain the waterways open.
Published – November 15, 2025 06:11 pm IST
