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Iran Seizes Oil Tanker, US Disables Two Vessels in Gulf Tensions

Iran's navy seized the oil tanker "Ocean Koi" for attempting to disrupt the country's oil exports in the Gulf of Oman. The US Central Command disabled two vessels, M/T Sea Star III and M/T Sevda, using precision munitions from an F/A-18 Super Hornet to prevent them from entering an Iranian port. Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi condemned the US actions as a "reckless military adventure" while a diplomatic solution was available. The US stated it has no intention of escalation and that the April 8 ceasefire remains in effect.

Key Points: Iran Seizes Oil Tanker, US Disables Two Vessels in Gulf

  • Iran seizes oil tanker Ocean Koi for disrupting exports
  • US disables two vessels near Strait of Hormuz
  • Iran claims naval forces targeted US destroyers
  • Iran FM Araghchi slams US "reckless military adventure"
  • US says no intention of escalation, ceasefire holds
2 min read

​Iran says it seizes 'offending' oil tanker, US disables two vessels

Iran navy seizes "offending" oil tanker Ocean Koi; US disables two ships near Strait of Hormuz. Tensions escalate as Tehran condemns US attacks.

"Iranians never bow to pressure, diplomacy is always the victim. - Seyed Abbas Araghchi"

Tehran, May 8

The Iranian army said on Friday that its naval forces had seized an "offending" oil tanker named "Ocean Koi" that sought to disrupt the country's oil exports by abusing the regional circumstances.

It said in a statement that the tanker was carrying Iran's oil and sought to harm Iran's national interests by designing a "special operation" in the Gulf of Oman.

The naval forces directed the tanker to Iran's southern coasts and handed it over to Iran's judicial authorities, it said.

In a separate statement, the army said its naval forces targeted US destroyers with cruise missiles, rockets and combat drones during the past hours in response to their attacks on Iranian oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz and in Iran's territorial waters, Xinhua news agency reported.

It said the destroyers changed course and left the area.

Meanwhile, the US Central Command stated that US forces disabled M/T Sea Star III and M/T Sevda on May 8, prior to both vessels entering an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman in violation of the ongoing US blockade.

It added that a US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet from USS George H.W. Bush disabled both tankers after firing precision munitions into their smokestacks, preventing the non-compliant ships from entering Iran.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry on Friday strongly condemned the overnight US attacks, calling them a violation of an April 8 ceasefire between the warring parties.

Also on Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi slammed the US choice of a "reckless military adventure" when "a diplomatic solution is on the table" again.

Writing on social media platform X, Araghchi said Iranians "never bow to pressure" and that "diplomacy is always the victim."

He also claimed that Iran's missile inventory and launcher capacity now stand at 120 per cent, exceeding estimates provided by the US intelligence community.

Iran also claimed that the US attacked two Iranian vessels near the Strait of Hormuz and said the US conducted airstrikes on Iran's southern cities and the capital, Tehran, in cooperation with some regional states.

Following the claims by Iran, Washington said that it has no intention of escalation and that the April 8 ceasefire still holds.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
Iran says the US attacked their cities and vessels near Strait of Hormuz? That's a huge claim. But US says ceasefire still holds. So much confusion. We need independent verification. Warships playing cat and mouse in the Gulf of Oman... this is not good. 😟
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Priya S
As an Indian, I'm watching this closely. We import oil from both Iran and US allies. Any disruption near Gulf of Oman hurts our economy. Iran saying 'we never bow' and US saying 'no intention to escalate' - but actions speak louder. Really hope common sense prevails. 🙏
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James A
Iran's claim of US airstrikes on Tehran and southern cities is serious. If true, that's way beyond just disabling tankers. But also, Iran seizing commercial tankers is piracy. Both sides need to step back. This April 8 ceasefire seems fragile. US F/A-18s disabling ships with precision munitions... modern warfare is scary.
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Vikram M
Iran says its missile inventory is at 120% of intelligence estimates. Whether believable or not, it's a clear message: don't mess. But the US disabling two tankers before they enter an Iranian port? That's aggressive. I'm no fan of Iran's regime, but US should also respect international waters. Dubai and Mumbai are just hours away from this chaos. Be careful, world.
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Michael C
Diplomatic solution on the table but US chooses military adventure - that's what Iran's FM says. Honestly, both sides are playing games. US claims ceasefire holds, Iran says

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