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US Central Command claims Iranian military overtook ship in international waters

The Wila tanker sailing under the Liberian flag was headed from the UAE port of Al Hamriyah to an anchorage belonging to the UAE near the city of Khor Fakkan on the coast of the Gulf of Oman

TASS, August 13. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated on Twitter that the Iranian military had overtook a ship named Wila in international waters.

"Today in international waters, Iranian forces, including two ships and an Iranian "Sea King" helicopter, overtook and boarded a ship called the ‘Wila,’" CENTCOM tweeted on Wednesday.

According to the Marine Traffic monitoring service, the Wila tanker sailing under the Liberian flag was headed from the UAE port of Al Hamriyah to an anchorage belonging to the UAE near the city of Khor Fakkan on the coast of the Gulf of Oman. The latest data on the ship’s location from 0:02 Moscow time shows the ship located close to the anchorage.

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. This incident caused a rise in tensions between Tehran and Western states.