Iran’s Revolutionary Guards confirmed on Saturday (November 15, 2025) that it had seized a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz and transferred it to Makran Port in the Persian Gulf for carrying “illegal cargo” the day after it lost contact with the vessel.
“The tanker, which was transporting 30,000 tons of petrochemicals bound for Singapore, was taken to the corresponding berth this morning to investigate violations,” Iran’s elite naval forces said in a statement, according to Tasnim news agency.
The Revolutionary Guards said the Talala oil tanker was seized on the orders of Iranian judicial authorities, and that an inspection of the oil tanker and related documents confirmed that it was transporting “unauthorized cargo.” Further details will be released after the cargo is examined and the tanker is inspected, according to a statement posted on the Revolutionary Guard’s Sepa News website.
Cruise from Dubai to Singapore
The Marshall Islands-flagged ship left Al Hamriyah Port near Dubai on Friday and was scheduled to depart for Singapore, arriving on November 24, according to VesselFinder, a maritime traffic tracking page.
Shipping company Columbia Shipmanagement reported hours later that it had suddenly lost contact with the tanker at 4:44 a.m. Japan time as it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically important point that separates the coasts of Iran and Oman and through which much of the world’s oil and gas shipments pass.
The Iranian military regularly announces the seizure of foreign vessels transporting smuggled fuel in the Persian Gulf or the Gulf of Oman, which has been a disaster for Iran. Last year, for example, the St. Nicholas, also flying the Marshall Islands flag, was hijacked. Since the June attack on Israel, Iran has also repeatedly threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, which would seriously disrupt international oil trade.
lgc (efe, dpa)
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