Report: Tanker "Hijacked" Near Strait of Hormuz

 

Iranian forces have intercepted a foreign-flagged tanker near the Strait of Hormuz, according to British maritime security consultancy Ambrey. 

In a notice released Tuesday, Ambrey said that a Panamanian-flagged product tanker had reported a "hijacking" at a position about 50 nautical miles to the northwest of Bandar-e Jask, on the Gulf of Oman side of the Strait of Hormuz. 

After the distress call, the vessel did not respond to further VHF calls, and its AIS transmissions became irregular about one hour after the initial call. At that point, the ship was under way and headed for the Strait of Hormuz. 

Ambrey did not name the vessel, but said that the tanker is linked to the UAE and is believed to be part of the Iran-facing "shadow fleet." A sister ship has been blacklisted by the U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) for violations of American sanctions on Iran.

The circumstances of the "hijacking" report were not immediately clear, but there are many precedents for sudden, unannounced interdictions near Iranian waters. The most common explanation is local law-enforcement action. Iran regularly intercepts coastal vessels for suspected fuel trafficking, which is a significant problem for the Iranian economy. Iran's subsidies for gasoline and diesel are among the highest in the world, and informal traders take advantage of the discounted public prices to buy low in Iran and sell high in neighboring countries. Most of the trafficking crosses Iran's land borders, but a portion departs by sea.