IRGC Seizes Oil Ship Allegedly Carrying Smuggled Diesel

The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), identified by the U.S. as a terrorist group linked to Iran’s military, has taken control of an oil vessel in the Persian Gulf. This ship was allegedly involved in transporting “smuggled diesel,” as reported by Tehran on Thursday.

The ship in question, flying the E-Swatini flag, is said to be part of a broader scheme to illegally extract Iranian oil and sell it internationally. On the same day, the IRGC also accused the United States of seizing a ship in the Caribbean believed to be carrying illegal oil. This was done following a judicial warrant process. The U.S. government claimed that the vessel was transporting sanctioned oil destined to benefit the Venezuelan drug regime and aligned factions in Iran.

Shortly after the news of the Iranian seizure broke, the Iranian embassy in Caracas, Venezuela, condemned the U.S. for “piracy,” criticizing the decision to confiscate a ship allegedly involved in transporting illegal oil.

General Heydar Honarian, commander of the Revolutionary Guards, mentioned that the ship and its 13 crew members were captured. Specific details about the crew were limited, although he did say some were Indian and others hailed from a nearby country.

“The Revolutionary Guards reportedly seized an Eswatini-flagged vessel carrying about 350,000 liters of smuggled diesel,” said the Tasnim news agency.

The report also emphasized Iran’s heightening efforts to combat the smuggling of its oil products in the Persian Gulf. “Major quantities of these products, mainly fuel, are being illicitly sent to neighboring Arab nations, where prices can soar to more than 20 times their value inside Iran,” it added.

Last November, the Iranian military made a similar announcement regarding a ship flying the Marshall Islands flag. This particular vessel was seized while passing through the Strait of Hormuz on accusations of illegal petrochemical trafficking, although specific details about its cargo were scarce.

On Wednesday, Iranian police communicated that this latest seizure and others like it have led to the recovery of 230 million liters of smuggled fuel that may have been extracted from Iran’s resources over the preceding eight months.

Brigadier General Ahmadreza Ladan, the Police Chief, attributed these significant findings to a combination of strategic planning, intelligence surveillance, and responsive actions taken by police and border guards.

He mentioned ongoing struggles against organized smuggling operations, which appear to be increasingly problematic for law enforcement both within the nation and in neighboring areas.

IRNA previously noted that the smuggled fuel was allegedly being exported out of the country via borders with Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Turkey, although the specific syndicate was not named.

During recent developments, the U.S. military denounced the seizure by the Revolutionary Guards as an act of terrorism, citing it as a breach of international law that disrupts free navigation.

The seizure of the oil ship announced on Thursday coincided with President Donald Trump’s declaration about the U.S. military capturing an oil tanker in the Caribbean.

As Trump mentioned, “We just seized a tanker off the coast of Venezuela. A large tanker, a very large tanker. It’s the largest one ever captured.” He also indicated that there were more details to discuss later, although he did not specify the reasons for this seizure.

Schooling the public on the situation, Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that the decision to seize the ship was backed by a warrant linked to allegations of extensive trafficking in sanctioned oil.

According to her statement, “This seizure, executed off the Venezuela coast, was completed securely, and investigations are ongoing to oversee the distribution of sanctioned oil.”

The Iranian embassy in Caracas swiftly criticized the U.S. seizure but refrained from confirming its direct involvement in the issue.

In its statement, the Iranian embassy denounced the U.S. government’s actions, labeling the seizure of the Venezuelan oil tanker in the Caribbean as an unlawful act that violates international laws.