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An oil tanker that was embroiled in a dispute between the US and Iran has been seized off the coast of Oman, in a raid UK maritime authorities said was carried out by individuals in black military-style uniforms.
The seizure comes as threats to shipping in the Middle East are already at the highest level in decades, following more than 25 attacks by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in the southern Red Sea, which western powers have indicated could lead to a military response.
UK Maritime Trade Operations, which monitors shipping incidents in the region, said a vessel had been boarded by four to five “armed unauthorised persons” at 3:30am GMT, adding they were reported to be “wearing military-style black uniforms”. It said they had lost contact with the vessel.
Tanker Trackers, a private maritime intelligence service, identified the tanker as the St Nikolas and carrying Iraqi oil. The vessel, previously called the Suez Rajan, was seized by US authorities last year for transporting Iranian oil, sparking a retaliatory seizure by Iran of a tanker carrying Kuwaiti oil for US company Chevron.
Empire Navigation, the Greece-based owner of the St Nikolas, in October announced it had settled a dispute with the US justice department over the vessel’s involvement in breaching the US’s sanctions regime.
The vessel is a “Suezmax” tanker, the largest kind that can use the Suez Canal fully laden. Such vessels can carry up to 1mn barrels of oil.
