The United States has condemned the seizure of an oil tanker by the Iranian navy off in the Gulf of Oman, and called for the immediate release of the vessel and its crew.
"This unlawful seizure of a commercial vessel is just the latest behavior by Iran or enabled by Iran aimed at disrupting international commerce," State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters on January 11, adding that the US will continue to consult with regional partners about appropriate steps to hold the Islamic Republic accountable.
The seizure of the Marshall Islands-flagged St. Nikolas followed with weeks of attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen on international shipping in the Red Sea.
In response, US and British forces hit Iran-backed Houthi rebel military targets overnight, a move quickly condemned by Tehran.
The Iranian navy confirmed it had seized an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman as a result of a judicial order, in what official media called a retaliation for the seizure last year of the same vessel by the United States.
The St. Nikolas had been off the Iraqi city of Basra, loading crude oil bound for Aliaga in Turkey.
Satellite-tracking data last showed the vessel had turned and headed toward the Iranian port of Bandar-e Jask.
The Greek shipping company Empire Navigation acknowledged losing contact with the vessel, which has a crew of 18 Filipinos and one Greek national.
The ship, once known as the Suez Rajan, was at the center of a yearlong dispute between Tehran and Washington that ultimately saw the US Justice Department seize 1 million barrels of Iranian crude oil it was carrying.
In September, Empire Navigation pleaded guilty to smuggling sanctioned Iranian crude oil and agreed to pay a $2.4 million fine over a case involving the tanker.
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