US Central Command on Sunday accused Iran of violating international law after confirming that Iranian forces seized a Marshall Islands–flagged tanker in international waters in the Strait of Hormuz last week.
The M/V Talara was taken on Friday, after Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) personnel arrived by helicopter and boarded the vessel before steering it into Iranian territorial waters, where it remains, CENTCOM said in a statement.
“Iran’s use of military forces to conduct an armed boarding and seizure of a commercial vessel in international waters constitutes a blatant violation of international law, undermining freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce,” the statement said.
It called on Tehran to “articulate to the international community the legal basis for its actions.”
CENTCOM added that US forces “will continue to remain vigilant and work alongside our partners and allies to promote regional peace and stability.”
CENTCOM’s statement come a day after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Navy said it had seized a Marshall Islands–flagged tanker off the coast of Makran, confirming earlier reports from maritime security firms and ship-tracking agencies.
“Our rapid-reaction units tracked and seized the vessel following a judicial order to confiscate its cargo,” IRGC-affiliated Fars news quoted the IRGC Navy as saying on Saturday.
The report said that the ship was carrying about 30,000 tons of petrochemical products owned by Iran that were being transferred illegally to Singapore.
Fars added that, according to its account, the tanker was sailing under a Marshall Islands flag and that the offenders were Iranian individuals or companies accused of trying to export the cargo unlawfully.
Iran has stepped up maritime enforcement in recent months, especially in waters near the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf, where fuel smuggling remains a persistent issue due to price differences with neighboring countries.
The IRGC regularly announces such seizures as part of what it calls efforts to curb fuel trafficking in the region, a key route for global oil shipments. Iran has also seized tankers over maritime disputes or in response to international sanctions enforcement.
