US Forces Seize Iran-Bound Arms Cargo at Sea as Tehran Intercepts Oil Tanker in Gulf of Oman

US Forces Seize Iran-Bound Arms Cargo at Sea as Tehran Intercepts Oil Tanker in Gulf of Oman

A United States special operations team has intercepted a ship in the Indian Ocean carrying military-related components bound for Iran, underscoring rising tensions over maritime security and sanctions enforcement.

According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, citing US officials, the operation took place last month when American forces boarded the vessel several hundred miles off the coast of Sri Lanka. The ship, which was travelling from China to Iran, was found to be carrying components that could be used for Iran’s conventional weapons programme. US officials said the seized materials were later destroyed, while the vessel was allowed to continue its journey.

The development comes as Iranian authorities announced the seizure of an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman, intensifying a pattern of maritime interceptions in the region. Iranian media reported that the tanker was carrying about six million litres of contraband diesel fuel and had 18 crew members from India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh on board.

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The Fars News Agency, quoting an official from Hormozgan Province, said the tanker had disabled its navigation systems and was intercepted off the Sea of Oman. Iranian forces frequently announce the interception of vessels accused of fuel smuggling, a practice driven by Iran’s heavily subsidised fuel prices, which make illegal exports lucrative.

Iran denied claims that the latest seizure was retaliatory, noting that a similar tanker had been detained last month for carrying unauthorised cargo. The incident followed closely on the heels of a US seizure of an oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast, which Washington said was transporting oil linked to Venezuela and Iran.

The US Treasury has maintained sanctions on Venezuela since 2022, citing alleged ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Hezbollah, as both countries remain under intense international scrutiny over sanctions evasion and regional security concerns.

US Forces Seize Iran-Bound Arms Cargo at Sea as Tehran Intercepts Oil Tanker in Gulf of Oman

ARAB NEWS