The U.S. Navy announced Monday that its sailors, along with the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, came to the rescue of a ship after it was “harassed by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard”.
The U.S. Navy released a statement saying that three fast-attack Guard ships with armed soldiers aboard approached the commercial ship at close range on Sunday afternoon. The U.S. Navy released black-and white images that it claimed were taken from an overhead Boeing P-8 Poseidon of the U.S. Navy, showing three small vessels close to the merchant ship.
The U.S. Navy’s guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul, and the Royal Navy’s frigate HMS Lancaster both responded to the incident. HMS Lancaster launched a helicopter.
The Navy reported that “the situation deescalated about an hour after the merchant ship confirmed that the fast-attack craft had left the scene.” The merchant ship transited the Strait of Hormuz with no further incident.
The Strait of Hormuz is the narrow mouth of Persian Gulf where 20% of world oil passes through.
Surveillance video from a U.S. Navy Boeing P-8 Poseidon shows three Iranian Revolutionary Guard fast-attack vessels near a commercial ship in the Strait of Hormuz, on June 4, 2023.
U.S. Navy via AP
The Navy has not identified the vessel, but ship tracking data from MarineTraffic.com analyzed and reported by The Associated Press revealed that the bulk carrier Venture with a Marshall Islands flag had erratically altered course while traveling through the strait during the incident. The location of the vessel matched the information provided by United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (a British military organization that oversees traffic in the area) about the incident. The images of the vessel released by the Navy were also similar.
Trust Bulkers, the registered manager of the ship, in Athens (Greece), did not respond immediately to a comment request.
The Revolutionary Guard and Iranian state media did not acknowledge the incident immediately. The Iranian mission at the United Nations didn’t immediately respond to an inquiry for comment.
The latest incident follows a series maritime incidents that involved Iran after the U.S. unilaterally withdrew from Tehran’s Nuclear Deal with World Powers in 2018.
It is likely that the recent seizure by Iran of the tanker Advantage Sweet, which was flying the Marshall Islands flag, was a result of the suspected American seizure. This ship was carrying Kuwaiti crude oil, which belonged to the energy company Chevron Corp. in San Ramon.
The AP has analyzed ship tracking data and found that the Suez Rajan is currently off the coasts of Galveston in Texas.
Iran also seized the Niovi tanker, which was flying the Panama flag, when it left the dry dock at Dubai in the United Arab Emirates on its way to Fujairah, located along the eastern coast of the UAE. Despite not having any cargo on board, S&P Global Market Intelligence data seen by AP shows that the Niovi received oil in July 2020 from a vessel known as the Oman Pride.
In August 2021, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned Oman Pride as well as others who were associated with it for being “part of an international oil-smuggling ring” that supported Quds Force – the expeditionary unit that is part of the Guard and operates in the Middle East. Wikiran, an online website that publishes documents leaked from the Islamic Republic and solicits them, has published purported emails that suggest cargo transported by the Niovi had been sold to Chinese firms without permission.
Recent seizures have increased pressure on the U.S. as the long-time security guarantee for Gulf Arab countries. United Arab Emirates said last week that it had “withdrawn its participation” in a joint command of naval forces called Combined Maritime Forces, but the U.S. Navy claimed it was still a member. The U.S. Central Command announced Saturday that its chief had visited the region and met with Emirati Leader Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. They “discussed regional security concerns and U.S.-UAE security partnerships.”
Last month, the Mideast-based commanders of U.S. Navy, British Navy and French Navy also transited Strait of Hormuz Friday on an American warship. This was a sign of unity in their approach to keeping the vital waterway open following Iran’s seizure of two oil tankers.
