Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy said it had seized an Eswatini-flagged vessel in the Persian Gulf carrying about 350,000 liters of smuggled gasoil, according to state-linked media.
Heydar Honarian-Mojarrad, commander of the IRGC Navy’s Second Naval Zone, said the ship was detained under a judicial order and escorted to the coast of Bushehr for offloading, adding that its 13 crew members were from India and a neighboring country.
Iran, which keeps domestic fuel prices low through subsidies and has seen its currency weaken, regularly announces interceptions of boats accused of moving contraband fuel by sea to Persian Gulf states and by land to neighboring countries.
No details were given on the vessel’s ownership, its last port of call, or the timeline of the operation. Authorities did not specify the fate of the crew beyond the seizure.
The announcement follows other recent actions. On Saturday, authorities near the island of Kish said two vessels carrying a combined 80,000 liters of smuggled fuel were stopped under a judicial order, with prosecutors saying the boats had been modified with extra deck tanks to spirit fuel out of the country.
Officials said they would continue operations against trafficking networks that profit from steep price gaps with neighboring states.
Earlier this month, the IRGC said it had seized a Marshall Islands–flagged tanker off the Makran coast in the Gulf of Oman, after maritime security firms reported a ship being diverted toward Iranian waters by small craft.
Tehran says such operations are conducted under court orders to prevent illegal fuel or cargo transfers. Western officials and shipping sources have accused Iran of at times using maritime enforcement to gain leverage in regional and sanctions-related disputes.
Iran’s coastline and the Strait of Hormuz lie astride one of the world’s busiest energy corridors. Iranian forces have increased patrols there, describing the moves as efforts to safeguard national interests and curb smuggling.
