The U.S. Condemns the Islamic Republic's 'Apparent Seizure' of a Ship

A senior White House official referred to the Islamic Republic's action in detaining a Greek-owned oil tanker as an 'apparent seizure' and condemned it, stating that the Iranian government 'must immediately release the ship and its crew.' John Kirby, the National Security Council's Strategic Communications Coordinator, said at a press conference on Thursday, January 21, that he was sure everyone had seen reports about the apparent seizure of a commercial ship named Saint Nicholas, flagged by the Marshall Islands, by the Iranians. This ship, owned by Greeks, was moving legally in the waters of the Sea of Oman. This senior U.S. official emphasized, 'We condemn this apparent seizure. The Iranian government must immediately release the ship and its crew.' He added, 'These provocative and unacceptable actions must stop.' Kirby also stated, 'We will continue to work with our allies and partners to deter and counter the full range of Iran's concerning and destabilizing behavior in close coordination, of course, with the international community.' Additionally, Vedant Patel, Deputy Spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, condemned the seizure of the 'Greek-owned' oil tanker by the Islamic Republic on Thursday and called for the immediate release of the tanker and its crew. According to Patel, 'The Saint Nicholas tanker, which flies the Marshall Islands flag and is owned by Greece, was seized while it was legally moving in the waters of the Sea of Oman.' The Deputy Spokesperson for the State Department reiterated that the Iranian government 'must immediately release [this] ship and its crew.' He stated that 'this illegal seizure of a commercial vessel is the latest behavior from Iran or made possible by Iran to disrupt international trade,' which, from the U.S. perspective, increases 'uncertainty for commercial shipping and for the regional and global economy.' Patel added that Iran's 'provocative' actions or those made possible by Iran 'pose a threat to the global economy' and 'must stop.' The Deputy Spokesperson for the State Department said the United States will continue its efforts to deter and counter a wide range of 'concerning and destabilizing behaviors' from the Islamic Republic of Iran. Patel, in response to a question about whether the U.S. has consulted with its regional partners regarding this issue, said that 'Iran's destabilizing actions' have always been a topic of discussion with international partners, especially regional partners of the United States who are 'immediately affected by some of these actions,' and will continue to be. He also mentioned the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, noting that 'about 30 percent' of the world's oil tankers pass through the Red Sea, stating that these actions increase uncertainty in the global supply chain and economy and put pressure on workers worldwide. For this reason, the United States continues to work closely with its regional partners on 'appropriate steps.' The Deputy Spokesperson for the State Department, in response to claims from the Islamic Republic's mission to the United Nations that this seizure of the tanker was 'legal,' stated that the United States will continue to vigorously enforce sanctions against the Islamic Republic, especially in the oil and petrochemical sectors. He emphasized that buyers of Iranian oil expose themselves to the risk of violating U.S. sanctions and should not allow their supply chains to be exploited by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Patel's statements came just hours after Iranian-affiliated news agencies reported on Thursday, January 21, about the seizure of 'an American oil tanker' by the Navy. Iranian media published images of armed individuals descending from a helicopter onto the deck of a ship, claiming that this action by the Islamic Republic was in retaliation for the 'theft' of Iranian oil by the U.S. and was carried out 'by judicial order.' The Saint Nicholas tanker, which flies the 'Marshall Islands' flag, previously operated under the name 'Suez Rajan' and was seized in Greece earlier this year during the enforcement of sanctions against the Islamic Republic by the United States. At that time, the U.S. announced that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had attempted to send smuggled Iranian oil to China in violation of U.S. sanctions. The 'Suez Rajan' was carrying 980,000 barrels of Iranian crude oil at the time of its seizure and final confiscation by the United States earlier this year. The tanker was unable to discharge Iranian crude oil for two and a half months due to fears of U.S. secondary sanctions and was renamed 'Saint Nicholas' after discharging its cargo. Reuters reported on Thursday, citing the British maritime security company Ambrey, that the automatic identification system of this tanker had been turned off and it had changed course towards the port of Jask in Hormozgan province. The operator of 'Saint Nicholas,' identified as 'Empire Navigation,' told Reuters that the tanker was carrying 145 tons of oil at the time of its seizure, which it had loaded from the port of Basra, Iraq, and was heading to 'Aliaga' in western Turkey. The tanker had 18 Filipino crew members and one Greek crew member and was chartered by the Turkish refinery 'Tupras.' Officials from the British Maritime Trade Operations also reported receiving a report that 'four to five armed individuals' in 'military black uniforms and black masks' boarded a tanker 50 nautical miles from the shores of Sohar, Oman. According to them, this ship changed course towards Iranian coastal waters and communication with it was lost. The latest adventure of the Islamic Republic in the region's waters comes at a time when, since the terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, Iranian-backed Houthis have carried out at least 26 attacks on commercial shipping lines in the Red Sea, leading to unprecedented maritime tensions in the region. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned on Wednesday that the ongoing attacks by Iranian-backed Houthis on commercial shipping lines in the Red Sea would have 'consequences.' Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday called on the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen to immediately cease attacks on ships in the Red Sea and supported the U.S.-led task force to defend the vessels. Security Council members approved the U.S. proposed resolution with 11 votes in favor, four abstentions, and no votes against.