Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces intercepted an oil products tanker and diverted it into Iranian territorial waters on Friday, a US official and maritime security sources said, the first report of Tehran seizing a tanker since Israeli-US strikes on Iran in June.
The Marshall Islands-flagged tanker, the Talara, had been sailing off the United Arab Emirates' coast, maritime sources said, and was carrying a cargo of high-sulfur gasoil through the Indian Ocean en route to Singapore from Sharjah in the UAE.
The US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the incident was surprising because Iran, known for intercepting ships in the Gulf in the past, had not carried out such operations in recent months.
There was no official confirmation of the incident from Tehran, and the UAE and Iranian foreign ministries did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The incident is believed to be 'state activity' and is under investigation
British Royal Navy agency UKMTO said the incident "is believed to be state activity; the vessel is transiting towards Iranian territorial waters."
"Contact was lost at around 0822 local time (0422 UTC) on Friday ... approximately 20 nautical miles off the coast of Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates," the vessel's manager, Columbia Shipmanagement, said in a statement, adding that it was working closely with relevant parties, including maritime security agencies and the vessel's owner, to restore contact.
Columbia Shipmanagement did not provide further details.
The ship is owned by Cyprus-based Pasha Finance.
In a statement, the US military said it was aware of the incident and was actively monitoring the situation.
The tanker was intercepted by the IRGC at sea and redirected towards the Iranian coast, British maritime risk management group Vanguard and maritime security sources said.
Iran's IRGC has periodically seized commercial vessels in Gulf waters in recent years, often citing maritime violations such as alleged smuggling, technical infractions, or legal disputes.
The vessel last reported its position at around 0810 UTC and was sailing close to the Iranian coast, MarineTraffic ship tracking data showed on Friday.