Iran seizes foreign tanker in Gulf of Oman over fuel smuggling

Iranian state news agency IRNA reported on Wednesday (July 16) that authorities have seized a foreign oil tanker carrying two million liters of fuel, accusing it of smuggling. Mojtaba Ghahramani, the head of the judiciary in Iran’s southern Hormozgan province, said the ship was seized in the Gulf of Oman “due to deficiencies in the legal documents related to the ship’s cargo” and a case has been filed on charges of transporting smuggled fuel. The country of origin and the ship’s exact destination were not immediately known. Ghahramani said a total of 17 people, including the captain and crew, have been detained as part of the investigation. He added that authorities are continuing to collect evidence, verify documents, test fuel and confirm the amount of cargo. The judiciary plans to announce the results after the investigation is complete.