Iran claims to have secured court order to seize Chevron ship

Iran announced on Thursday that it possessed a court order to seize a tanker in the waters of the Gulf after it collided with an Iranian vessel.

The collision involved the Richmond Voyager, an oil tanker flying the Bahamas flag, and the Iranian navy claimed that it had the legal authority to seize the vessel. The U.S. Navy reported that it had prevented Iran from commandeering two tankers, including the Richmond Voyager, in international waters off the coast of Oman.

The USS McFaul, a guided-missile destroyer, was deployed by the U.S. Navy in response to a distress call from the Richmond Voyager. Iranian authorities had requested the tanker to stop and had fired shots, but the Iranian navy vessel departed when the USS McFaul arrived. According to Iran, the collision with the Iranian ship resulted in injuries to five individuals and flooding on board.

The owner of the Iranian ship subsequently requested the seizure of the Richmond Voyager. Chevron, the U.S. oil company managing the tanker, confirmed the safety of its crew and the normal operation of the vessel. This incident follows Iran’s seizure of two oil tankers in the same region just over a month ago, amidst heightened tensions between the United States and Iran.

The Strait of Hormuz, located between Iran and Oman, is a critical passage for approximately one-fifth of the world’s seaborne crude oil and oil products.

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