Seized Oil Tanker Heading Toward Iran, UK Says

An oil tanker was seized by armed individuals in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday, according to United Kingdom Marine Trade Operations, as attacks on commercial shipping in the broader Middle Eastern region continue.

The UKMTO, which provides updates and warnings to vessels navigating strategic Middle Eastern waterways, reported a "vessel being boarded by 4-5 armed unauthorized persons" some 50 nautical miles off the coast of the Omani city of Sohar.

"Unauthorized boarders are reported to be wearing military style black uniforms with black masks," the UKMTO update read. "Authorities are investigating."

The vessel is the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker St Nikolas, which is owned by Greek firm Empire Navigation and has previously been caught up in United States enforcement of oil export sanctions against Iran, Reuters reported.

The vessel's AIS tracking system was turned off as it turned in the direction of the Iranian port of Bandar-e-Jask, according to Reuters. The UKMTO said the St Nikolas "has altered course toward Iranian territorial waters."

Iran's state-owned Tasnim News Agency reported on Telegram that the Iranian navy had seized what it called an "American oil tanker."

Newsweek has reached out to the Iranian Foreign Ministry by email for comment. The country's mission to the United Nations told Newsweek in a statement that the seizure "does not constitute hijacking; rather, it is a lawful undertaking sanctioned by a court order and corresponds to the theft of Iran's very own oil."

The St Nikolas was seized in 2023 by U.S. authorities when it was sailing under the name Suez Rajan. The U.S. said then that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had been using the vessel to export contraband Iranian oil to China in violation of American sanctions, imposed in relation to Tehran's nuclear program.

When hijacked on Thursday, Empire Navigation told Reuters the vessel was loaded with around 160 tons of oil, taken aboard in the southern Iraqi port of Basra. The ship was headed to Aliaga in western Turkey via the Suez Canal, the firm said. Empire Navigation added it had lost contact with the St Nikolas.

The ship was manned by a crew of 19 sailors—made up of 18 Filipino nationals and one Greek national—when it was seized, the company said.

Ambassador Mark Wallace, the CEO of the United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) organization, told Newsweek that the Iranian seizure shows that the U.S. "has lost its deterrence."

"We must demonstrate that any effort by Iran or its proxies to hijack vessels in international waters will be met with a sharp, lethal response. The only proportionate response is a decisive response.

"Our Iranian enemies need to feel the wrath of the greatest naval force on Earth and the U.S. should not wait for American or allied casualties before it acts."

The hijacking comes against a backdrop of deteriorating maritime security in the Middle East, related to Israel's war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip and subsequent renewed tensions with Iran and its network of allied militias in the Palestinian territories, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Lebanon.

In the Red Sea off Yemen's coast, the Houthi militia—which is aligned with Iran and since 2014 has been fighting against the Western-recognized Yemeni administration—has been attacking commercial and military vessels in response to Israel's war on Hamas.

This week, British and American warships defeated the largest Houthi attack yet, shooting down 21 drones and missiles in the Red Sea. Both nations have hinted at serious "consequences" for the group if attacks continue. Asked about potential retaliatory strikes on Houthi targets inside Yemen, British Defense Minister Grant Shapps said: "Watch this space."

Update 1/11/24, 12:10 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from Ambassador Mark Wallace and a response from the Iranian mission to the United Nations.