There are developments in the case of the seizure of the Greek-owned tanker in the Gulf of Oman.
According to the Iranian news agencies IRNA and TASNIM, the Navy of the Islamic Republic of Iran seized the tanker, following the issuance of a court order. The information is also confirmed by domestic government sources.
The Iranian media describe the ship as a US tanker, without explaining why.
The tanker belongs to Empire Navigation.
The ship in question is in the middle of a dispute between the US and Iran. According to the Equasis data platform, St Nikolas was until September 2023 named Suez Rajan, a name that found itself in the center of shipping news in February 2022.
At the time, the US non-profit group United Against Nuclear Iran, which monitors Iran’s movements, revealed its suspicions that the tanker was carrying oil from that country in violation of US sanctions.
In April 2023, Washington seized the ship. After the arrest, Empire Navigation admitted to violating US sanctions by carrying a cargo of Iranian crude on the Suez Rajan and pledged to bring 800,000 barrels of Iranian crude to the US for seizure.
Government sources told “Naftemporiki” that it is very possible that the seizure of the ship is the Iranian response to the seizure of Iranian oil by the Americans.
