The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps has taken control of the oil tanker TALARA, which flies the Marshall Islands flag. This incident occurred about 20 nautical miles east of Khawr Fakkan in the United Arab Emirates, as reported by the UK Maritime Trade Operations and maritime security experts.
This is the first time since the seizure of the MSC Aries in April 2024 that Iran has captured a commercial vessel that was not involved in fuel smuggling, according to Martin Kelly, Head of Advisory at EOS Risk Group.
According to a UKMTO advisory, “This is believed to be state activity as the ship was heading towards Iranian waters.” They urged other vessels to be cautious and to report any suspicious activity.
The U.S. 5th Fleet confirmed they are aware of the TALARA incident, stating, “We are actively monitoring the situation. Commercial ships have the right to navigate freely on the high seas.”
Columbia Shipmanagement, the company managing the vessel, reported that contact was lost around 8:22 AM local time (4:22 AM UTC) on Friday, near Khor Fakkan. The ship is owned by Pasha Finance, which is based in Cyprus.
So far, Iran has not publicly commented on this seizure, but such actions are often linked to rising geopolitical tensions.
Kelly also pointed out that understanding the regional context helps in assessing risks at this time. He mentioned that Iran is experiencing severe economic pressure, with increased U.S. and E3 sanctions on Iranian oil exports aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear program leading to a significant drop in the value of the Iranian Rial.
Internally, Iran is dealing with a major drought that has caused unrest, leading to warnings for residents in Tehran about possible evacuations due to water shortages. Critics argue that these issues arise from Iran’s focus on military funding rather than infrastructure development.
The timing of the seizure is notable as it follows the Iranian-backed Houthi group's announcement of ceasing maritime operations against Israel and lifting their naval blockade of Israeli ports.
In April 2024, Iranian forces had seized the MSC Aries by boarding the Portuguese-flagged ship via helicopter. They claimed violations of maritime law and failure to comply with requests from Iranian authorities, noting the vessel’s connections to Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer.
Though the 25-member crew aboard the MSC Aries was eventually released a month later, Iran still retains control of the ship more than a year later.
Experts in maritime law have raised concerns about the legality of Iran’s actions, particularly regarding boarding ships in international waters and issues related to freedom of navigation.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the seizure of the TALARA as the vessel approaches Iranian waters.