Tehran: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have detained an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, the Tasnim news agency reported on Wednesday. It is the second incident within a week, after the Iranian navy detained a tanker in the Gulf of Oman almost a week ago, diverting it into Iranian waters. Tehran said this was retaliation after the US seized a tanker carrying Iranian oil. The US Marines stationed in the region said the tanker seized on Wednesday was flying under the Panama flag en route from Dubai to Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates. Several IRGC speedboats surrounded the tanker and diverted its course towards the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas. Repeated incidents involving tankers in the Gulf of Oman or the Persian Gulf have led to heightened tensions. The Strait of Hormuz, between Iran and Oman, is one of the world’s most important shipping routes for global oil exports.(DPA)
