Iran Seizes Foreign-Flagged Tanker in Gulf of Oman

Independent maritime security firm EOS Risk Group reports that Iran has seized a foreign-flagged tanker in the Gulf of Oman, the first such seizure in more than a year.

The tanker Talara (IMO 9569994) was captured by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' naval forces at a position about 20 nautical miles off the UAE's coastline in the Gulf of Oman, according to EOS' Martin Kelly. Security firm Ambrey told AP that three boats with a raiding party approached and boarded the Talara.

The Strait of Hormuz is a critical chokepoint for energy shipping, and it is closely monitored. The Associated Press reported that a U.S. Navy long range surveillance drone was circling the site of the tanker seizure for hours, based on flight tracking data.

Talara is a 73,000 dwt crude oil tanker built in 2010 and flagged in the Marshall Islands, a registry administered by an American entity. It is managed by Cypriot third party ship manager Columbia Shipmanagement; its ultimate beneficial owner is unclear. Columbia said in a statement that it had lost contact with the vessel, and that it is working to regain communications. "The safety of the crew remains our foremost priority," the firm said in a statement.

Iran has periodically attacked or seized Western-linked vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman for years, beginning as far back as the "Tanker War" of the late 1980s. The seizures are typically couched as law enforcement actions, but are usually aligned with Iran's geopolitical considerations and carried out beyond the boundaries of Iranian maritime jurisdiction. The last instance was the seizure of the boxship MSC Aries in early 2024; the crew was released within a month, but Iran retained control of the ship.