Iran has seized two foreign oil tankers in the Persian Gulf, accusing them of smuggling fuel, according to reports from Iranian state media on Thursday.
State television said the two tankers were carrying about one million litres of fuel, including diesel, when they were intercepted near Farsi Island.
The vessels were later taken to the port of Bushehr. Iranian authorities did not reveal the nationalities of the ships, the flags they were flying, or the countries of origin of their crew members.
A regional commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy, General Heidar Honarian Mojarrad, was reported to have said that 15 crew members from the two tankers have been taken into custody and referred to judicial authorities. No further details about the crew were provided.
Iranian news agencies reported that the vessels were allegedly part of a fuel smuggling network that had been operating in the region for several months.
The IRGC was said to have identified and seized the ships through intelligence and monitoring operations at sea.
The seizure follows a series of similar incidents
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