Iranian-backed forces seize oil tanker off UAE: sources

LONDON (Reuters): Iranian-backed forces are believed to have seized an oil tanker in the Gulf off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, three maritime security sources said, after Britain’s maritime trade agency reported a potential hijack in the area.

Abolfazl Shekarchi, Iran’s senior armed forces spokesman, denounced reports of maritime incidents and hijacking in the Gulf area as a kind of psychological warfare and setting the stage for new bouts of adventurism, the Fars News Agency said.

Two of the maritime sources identified the seized vessel as the Panama-flagged asphalt/bitumen tanker Asphalt Princess in an area in the Arabian Sea leading to the Strait of Hormuz, the conduit for about a fifth of the world’s seaborne oil exports.

The U.S. State Department said it was concerned and looking into reports of a maritime incident in the Gulf of Oman, but that it was too early to offer a judgment. Britain’s foreign ministry was urgently investigating an incident on a vessel off the UAE coast, a spokesperson said.

U.S. officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the United States military was considering repositioning at least one vessel in the general vicinity of the Asphalt Princess to keep a closer eye. The officials said this would not be uncommon and would be to monitor the situation rather than to make any imminent military moves.

Tensions have simmered in the region after an attack last week on an Israeli-managed tanker off the Omani coast killed two crew members and was blamed on Iran by the United States, Israel, and Britain. Iran has denied responsibility.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), in a warning notice based on a third-party source, had earlier reported a potential hijack and advised ships to exercise extreme caution due to the incident around 60 nautical miles east of the UAE’s Fujairah emirate.

The Times of London newspaper also reported that the Asphalt Princess had been hijacked, citing British sources as saying they were working on the assumption Iranian military or proxies boarded the vessel.

The U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet and UAE authorities did not immediately reply to a Reuters request for comment. Alluding to the reports, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister told a U.S. think tank in an online appearance that he sees an emboldened Iran acting in a negative manner in the region, including endangering shipping.

Earlier on Tuesday, at least five ships in the sea between the UAE and Iran updated their AIS tracking status to ‘Not Under Command’, according to Refinitiv ship tracking data. Such a status generally indicates a ship is unable to maneuver due to exceptional circumstances.