DUBAI, Nov 15 (Reuters) — Iran announced on Saturday that its Revolutionary Guards had taken control of a tanker in the Gulf, which was transporting petrochemicals to Singapore. This action was reportedly due to alleged violations, according to Iranian state media.

A U.S. official and maritime security sources mentioned on Friday that Iranian forces stopped the oil tanker and redirected it into Iranian territorial waters. This marks the first incident of Tehran seizing a tanker since Israeli-U.S. military actions against Iran in June.

The Iranian state television broadcasted a statement from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claiming that “the tanker was violating regulations by carrying unauthorized cargo.” However, they did not provide further information about these alleged violations.

The tanker, named Talara and flagged under the Marshall Islands, was reported to be sailing near the United Arab Emirates’ coast and was carrying high-sulfur gasoil through the Indian Ocean on its way from Sharjah in the UAE to Singapore.

The vessel’s management company, Columbia Shipmanagement, stated that they lost contact with the Talara on Friday morning when it was about 20 nautical miles off the coast of Khor Fakkan, UAE. They are currently working closely with maritime security agencies and the vessel's owner to reestablish communication.

The ship is owned by Pasha Finance, a company based in Cyprus.

The U.S. military has acknowledged the incident and is actively monitoring the situation.

The IRGC has a history of seizing commercial vessels in the Gulf for various reasons, often citing maritime violations including smuggling, technical issues, or legal disputes.

However, the U.S. official, who requested to remain anonymous, commented that this incident was unexpected, as Iran had not engaged in such activities for several months.

Since the Israeli bombing campaign that occurred over 12 days in June, which involved the U.S., Iran has reduced its military operations in the region. Their last reported vessel seizure took place in April 2024.