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Iran seizes foreign oil tanker in Persian Gulf smuggling fuel - TV

According to Al Mayadeen, the vessel was carrying 700,000 liters of fuel. Seven foreign crew members have been detained

© AP Photo/Hasan Jamali

TASS, August 4. Iran has seized a foreign oil tanker near Farsi Island in the Persian Gulf smuggling fuel to Arab states, Al Mayadeen TV channel reported in its Telegram channel citing Iran's elite military force, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

According to the report, the vessel was carrying 700,000 liters of fuel. Seven foreign crew members have been detained.

Mehr news agency reported that the IRGC had detained the vessel upon the instructions of judicial authorities after finding out that the tanker was smuggling fuel. The vessel was moved to Iran’s Bushehr province and the cargo was delivered to the department of the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company, located in the province.

On July 19, Iran’s Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported that the Stena Impero oil tanker flying the British flag had been detained in the Strait of Hormuz. According to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the tanker was detained for violating international rules and was escorted to the shore for inspections. The tanker’s 23-member crew includes nationals of Russia, India, Lithuania and the Philippines. Later, Iran’s authorities announced that the tanker had been involved in an incident with an Iranian fishing vessel, and all crew members were at the Bandar Abbas port and would not be released until the investigation was completed.

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