TEHRAN, January 11 – The Iranian military has detained an American oil tanker in the Persian Gulf, according to the state news agency Tasnim. The statement reads, “The Islamic Republic of Iran’s Navy has detained an American oil tanker in the waters of the Persian Gulf based on a court decision.” No further details were provided. Earlier today, the Greek newspaper “Kathimerini” reported, citing the British Maritime Security Service, that armed individuals had seized the St. Nikolas oil tanker under the flag of the Marshall Islands in the Persian Gulf. The vessel belongs to the Greek shipping company Empire Navigation. Previously, the tanker was known as Suez Rajan and was involved in a long-standing dispute between Iran and the United States, which ultimately led to the US Department of Justice confiscating one million barrels of Iranian crude oil. According to the websites Marine Traffic and Vesselfinder, the vessel, chartered by the Turkish oil refining company Tupras, was en route from Basra, Iraq to the port of Aliaga in Turkey. According to Ambrey, it is currently heading to the Iranian port of Bandar-e-Jask, located approximately 1700 kilometers south of Tehran.
