Iran Seizes Two Foreign Tankers for Smuggling Diesel in the Gulf
A handout picture provided by the Iranian presidency on August 29, 2023, shows a general view of phase 11 of the South Pars gas field in Asaluyeh port in the southwestern Bushehr province ahead of its inauguration. ©IRANIAN PRESIDENCY / AFP

Iran's Revolutionary Guards have seized two foreign vessels carrying "smuggled" fuel in the Gulf, local media said on Tuesday.

"The Revolutionary Guards seized two Tanzanian-flagged vessels carrying 1.5 million liters of smuggled diesel fuel," said Iranian news agency Fars.

Iranian forces regularly target tankers they say are illegally transporting fuel in the Gulf.

"The vessels, Sea Ranger and Salama, had 25 foreign crew members," said Fars, without elaborating on their fate.

It added that the vessels "were transferred to the port of Bushehr," in Iran's southwest, "for legal procedures".

Iran, a major oil producer, has among the cheapest petrol prices in the world, which encourages fuel trafficking.

In May, Iran released seven crew members from a Portuguese-flagged container ship, seized on April 13, after accusing them of links to its arch-foe Israel.

With AFP

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