Iranian forces have seized an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, the second such incident in less than a week.<\/p>\n
The US Navy said the Panama-flagged VLCC Footage released by the US Naval Forces Central Command 5th Fleet showed eleven small boats approaching the vessel forcing it to change course and sail for Iranian waters. The tanker last called Port Rashid\u2019s Drydocks World and had an estimated freeboard of 21.25 m.<\/p>\n Maritime security consultants Ambrey said the ship was heading southbound in Omani territorial waters, some 47 nautical miles south of Bandar Abbas in Iran \u2013 observing the AIS signal going offline at 02.31 UTC on May 3.<\/p>\n Fleet register Equasis lists the 2005-built ship as owned by Grand Financing and managed by Smart Tankers, both Piraeus-based. TankerTrackers.com said it has located the Niovi<\/em> in the anchorage of Larak\/Qeshm islands.<\/p>\n A previous incident occurred six days ago when the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy seized Marshall Islands-flagged suezmax tanker Advantage Sweet<\/em><\/a><\/span> while it transited international waters in the Gulf of Oman in retaliation for a Greek-managed tanker Suez Rajan<\/em> being taken by US authorities for carrying Iranian oil. Greek authorities had issued a warning, that Greek shipping was at an increased risk from Iran after the detention of the Suez Rajan<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cIran\u2019s actions are contrary to international law and disruptive to regional security and stability. Over the past two years, Iran has harassed, attacked or interfered with the navigational rights of 15 internationally flagged merchant vessels.<\/p>\n \u201cIran\u2019s continued harassment of vessels and interference with navigational rights in regional waters are unwarranted, irresponsible and a present threat to maritime security and the global economy,\u201d the US Naval Forces Central Command said in a statement.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tNiovi<\/span> was seized by Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) around 6.20 hrs local time while transiting from the Arabian Gulf toward the port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates.<\/p>\n