Iranian Regime Seizes Marshall Islands-Flagged Merchant Oil Tanker in Gulf of Oman
By Jim Hoft Apr. 27, 2023
The tanker, Advantage Sweet, was heading to Houston, Texas before it was apprehended by Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.
The AP reported:
The Navy’s Mideast-based 5th Fleet identified the vessel as the Advantage Sweet. Satellite tracking data for the vessel from MarineTraffic.com showed it in the Gulf of Oman just north of Oman’s capital, Muscat, on Thursday afternoon. It had just come from Kuwait and listed its destination as Houston, Texas.
The Advantage Sweet issued a distress call at 1:15 p.m. while in international waters as Iran seized the vessel, the Navy said.
“Iran’s actions are contrary to international law and disruptive to regional security and stability,” the 5th Fleet said in a statement. “Iran should immediately release the oil tanker.”
The 5th Fleet said the Iranian seizure was at least the fifth commercial vessel taken by Tehran in the last two years.