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RFL/RE – Iran tried to seize two oil tankers in international waters near the strategic Strait of Hormuz early on July 5, firing shots at one of them, the U.S. Navy said.
It said that, in both cases, the Iranian naval vessels backed off after the U.S. Navy responded to distress signals, and that both commercial ships continued their voyages.
“The Iranian Navy did make attempts to seize commercial tankers lawfully transiting international waters,” said Commander Tim Hawkins, spokesman for the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet. “The U.S. Navy responded immediately and prevented those seizures.”
Iran said it had obtained a court order for the seizure of the Richmond Voyager tanker after it collided with an Iranian vessel.
It was the latest in a series of attacks on ships in the area since 2019.
The U.S. Navy said in a statement that the first report came at 1 a.m. when one Iranian naval vessel approached the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker TRF Moss. The Iranian vessel departed the scene when the U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul arrived, it said.
About three hours later, the U.S. Navy received a distress call from the Bahamian-flagged oil tanker Richmond Voyager while the ship was about 30 kilometers off the coast of Oman. Another Iranian naval vessel had closed within 2 kilometers of the Richmond Voyager while hailing the tanker to stop.
The McFaul directed course toward Richmond Voyager at maximum speed as the tanker continued its transit, the Fifth Fleet said.
“Prior to McFaul’s arrival on scene, Iranian personnel fired multiple, long bursts from both small arms and crew-served weapons,” the statement said. “Richmond Voyager sustained no casualties or significant damage. However, several rounds hit the ship’s hull near crew living spaces. The Iranian Navy vessel departed when McFaul arrived.”
U.S. oil company Chevron confirmed to Reuters that it managed the Richmond Voyager, that its crew was safe, and that the vessel was operating normally.
Iran’s state media cited the Maritime Search and Rescue Center of Hormozgan Province in the country’s south as saying in a statement that Iran had obtained a court order for the seizure of the Richmond Voyager after it collided with an Iranian vessel carrying seven crew members.
Five people were seriously injured in the collision, the IRINN news agency said, citing the statement.
The United States in May increased the rotation of ships and aircraft patrolling the Strait of Hormuz with its partners following an uptick in Iranian merchant vessel seizures, the Fifth Fleet said.
