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Topline
The U.S. demanded Iran “immediately release” an oil tanker seized by the Iranian military off the coast of Oman on Thursday—a move the Islamic Republic said was retaliation for U.S. seizures of Iranian oil shipments last year.
The St. Nikolas oil tanker was seized in the Gulf of Oman.
Key Facts
“Iran and Iran enabled provocative actions like this are a menace to the global economy and it must cease,” Defense Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters Thursday.
Patel did not specify what further actions the U.S. would take, but said it “continues to be a subject of conversation.”
Patel also said the U.S. would continue to “vigorously enforce” sanctions against the Islamic Republic, and work with regional partners to “hold the Iranian regime accountable.”
Iranian officials said the seizure was retaliation after the same ship, which was sailing under a different name, was seized by the U.S. in 2023, Reuters reported, citing Iranian state television.
The tanker is a Marshall Islands flagged ship with Greek owners, Patel said, and was en route to deliver a shipment of crude oil to Turkey.
Further Reading
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