The Iranian Navy says it has obtained a warrant to seize the oil tanker Richmond Voyager

IRINS Iranian Navy corvette beandor (81) Accessed July 6, 2023. US Navy Photo

Officials in Tehran claim that the warship that attempted to seize an oil tanker operating off the coast of Oman acted on a court order, according to Iranian state-controlled media.

Iranian search and rescue officials announced an oil tanker Richmond Voyager The official IRIN news agency reported that five of its crew members collided with an Iranian vessel.

As a result, Tehran deployed the Iranian Navy corvette Irenz beandor (81) By seizing the tanker, according to the news. beandorbuilt for the Imperial Iranian Navy in the 1960s, was identified by ship spotters as the ship seen firing Richmond Voyager in the video Released by the US Fifth Fleet Wednesday.

According to the incident summary, Iranian forces contacted the tanker via VHF radio and ordered Richmond Victorian To stop getting on the plane. The crew refused, and then beandor They fired on the tanker, according to a video released by the US Fifth Fleet.

Iranian officials denied that they attempted to seize the ship before the US Fifth Fleet released the video. After the footage emerged, Iran’s search and rescue services released the information on the court order. Tehran’s move to change its story shows how some dynamics in the region have changed, Behnam Bin Talebloo, an expert on Iran at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told USNI News on Tuesday.

“The need for a new explanation after an earlier denial of the incident by Iran is simple: Tehran’s pride was badly damaged in an area where it thought it could operate with impunity,” he told USNI News.
“Iran’s evolving story and attempted legal warfare after its attempt to seize two tankers in international waters is further evidence that the United States has taken the right course of action by strengthening a supporting force presence to build international maritime security.”

Since 2021, Iranian forces have harassed, attacked, or seized 20 internationally flagged vessels. Iran seized two tankers within a week of each other this year, USNI News reported at the time. Following the seizures, the US Navy increased its patrols in the Strait of Hormuz.

On Thursday, Iran’s sectarian Revolutionary Guards Navy seized an oil tanker in the Persian Gulf, the US Fifth Fleet told USNI News.

“On July 6, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) seized a merchant ship possibly involved in smuggling activities,” the commander said. Tim Hawkins said in a statement to USNI News.
The US Navy deployed naval assets to closely monitor the situation. Ultimately, US Naval Forces Central Command assessed the circumstances of this event and did not warrant a further response.”

Reports indicate that the seized tanker was the Egyptian-flagged tanker Nada 2.

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