Iran has transferred seized oil tankers to 'South Bandar Abbas'

Satellite images from the Associated Press on Sunday indicate that both oil tankers flying the flags of the Marshall Islands and Panama, recently seized by Iran, have docked at a naval base in South Bandar Abbas. The Iranian Navy seized the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker on April 27, accusing it of colliding with an Iranian vessel in the Sea of Oman. However, tracking data for the ship shows no irregular behavior in its route, and the Islamic Republic has previously attempted to use seized vessels as bargaining chips in negotiations with the West. At the time of its seizure, the tanker was carrying Kuwaiti crude oil for the American company Chevron, destined for California. The Panama-flagged tanker was also seized last Wednesday after leaving a dry dock in Dubai en route to Fujairah on the eastern coast of the United Arab Emirates by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). This tanker was not carrying any cargo at the time of its seizure, but analysis of its data by the Associated Press indicates that it received oil from the 'Oman Pride' tanker in July 2020. The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned the 'Oman Pride' tanker in August 2021 for its involvement in an 'international oil smuggling network' supported by the IRGC's Quds Force. Additionally, leaked emails from the website Wikiran, which publishes documents leaked from the Islamic Republic, indicate that the cargo of the Panama-flagged ship was sold without permission to companies in China. Claire Jungman, Chief of Staff of the United Against a Nuclear Iran organization, believes the seizure of the Panama-flagged tanker is related to a dispute over a shipment of Iranian crude oil. The Islamic Republic has stated that the reason for the seizure of this tanker is a court ruling in Tehran. Maritime tensions between the Islamic Republic and the United States in the region have intensified, and in this context, the U.S. Maritime Administration issued a warning calling for 'increased caution' for vessels passing through the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, and Sea of Oman from May 3 to 10. The U.S. intends to send more drones to the Middle East to counter threats from Iran.