The crew of an oil products tanker seized by Iran last week are safe and the vessel is now anchored off the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, its technical manager Columbia Shipmanagement said on Monday after Tehran confirmed the seizure.
Iran said on Saturday that its Revolutionary Guards had intercepted the M/V Talara, a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker, in Iranian territorial waters a day earlier over alleged cargo violations.
It was the first tanker seizure by Tehran since Israeli and US strikes on Iran in June, raising concerns about the safety of commercial shipping carrying energy supplies in the world's largest oil-exporting region.
Columbia Shipmanagement on Monday said the tanker's captain made contact with the company at 1730 GMT on November 16.
“All crew members are reported to be safe and accounted for. The vessel is now safely anchored off the coast of Bandar Abbas,” it said in a statement, adding that 21 seafarers were on board.
The company said contact was lost with the vessel on November 14 while it was transiting international waters via Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates to Singapore with a cargo of high sulphur gasoil.
“Columbia Shipmanagement is working with regional partners to urgently resolve the situation and secure the release of our crew,” the company said.
The company's statement came a day after US Central Command (CENTCOM) accused Iran of violating international law and urged Tehran to explain the legal basis for the seizure.
Iran has stepped up maritime enforcement in recent months, especially in waters near the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf, where fuel smuggling remains a persistent issue due to price differences with neighboring countries.
The IRGC announced the seizure was part of what it describes as efforts to curb fuel smuggling. It has in the past often cited alleged smuggling, technical violations or other miscellaneous maritime offences for seizing vessels.
