On Thursday, Iran seized the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker St Nikolas, carrying Iraqi crude bound for Turkey. This action is retaliation for the U.S. confiscation of the same vessel and its oil last year.
The confiscation of the Marshall Islands-flagged vessel, St Nikolas, aligns with a series of assaults over conducted by Yemen’s Houthi militias. These attacks have been specifically directed towards shipping routes in the Red Sea.
The semi-official Fars news agency reported that following the alleged theft of Iranian oil by the United States last year, the Marshall Islands-flagged vessel St Nikolas was seized by the Iranian Navy on the basis of a judicial order,
The Pentagon, however, contends that Iranian forces unlawfully boarded the St Nikolas in the Gulf of Oman, coercing a course change toward Iranian territorial waters.
The White House condemned the seizure, emphasizing a lack of justification.
The U.S. previously seized the St Nikolas in the preceding year during a sanctions enforcement operation when the vessel operated under the name Suez Rajan. Iran had forewarned the U.S. that such an action would “not go unanswered.”
The recent incident involved armed intruders boarding the vessel near the Omani city of Sohar, according to British maritime security firm Ambrey. The AIS tracking system was disabled as the St Nikolas approached the Iranian port of Bandar-e-Jask.
Turkish oil refiner Tupras confirmed the purchase of the cargo from Iraqi state marketer SOMO and stated that communication with the St Nikolas, under the Marshall Islands flag and owned by Greek ship owner Empire Navigation, was severed on January 11 in the waters of Oman. Despite the incident, Tupras affirmed no impact on refinery operations
The Turkish company, operator of the Izmir refinery in Aliaga with a daily capacity of 241,500 barrels, stated that the recent incident involving the St Nikolas has no impact on its refinery operations.
The vessel, loaded with approximately 145,000 metric tonnes of oil from the Iraqi port of Basra, was en route to Aliaga in western Turkey via the Suez Canal, according to information from Empire Navigation provided to Reuters. The company reported a loss of contact with the vessel, crewed by 19 individuals, including 18 Filipino nationals and one Greek national.
In recent months, Yemen’s Houthi militias have targeted commercial vessels in the Red Sea, expressing support for the Palestinian militant group Hamas in its conflict with Israel. Notably, these incidents have been concentrated in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, located southwest of the Arabian Peninsula.
Thursday’s incident occurred closer to the Strait of Hormuz, situated between Oman and Iran.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) authority reported receiving information that a vessel approximately 50 nautical miles east of Oman’s coast was boarded by four to five armed individuals.
The intruders, reportedly clad in military-style black uniforms and masks, prompted an on-going investigation as further contact with the vessel remained un-established.
U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Brad Cooper denounced Iran’s actions as contrary to international law, asserting a threat to maritime security and stability.
The Suez Rajan, which transported over 980,000 barrels of Iranian crude oil, last year, underwent a U.S sanctions enforcement operation due to allegations that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) aimed to illicitly send contraband Iranian oil to China, violating U.S. sanctions.
The vessel encountered challenges unloading the Iranian crude for almost 2-1/2 months, primarily due to concerns about secondary sanctions on vessels participating in the unloading process. Following the completion of cargo transactions, the vessel was renamed the St Nikolas.
