Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps seized a commercial vessel on Thursday while it was transiting the Arabian Gulf in international waters.
The commercial vessel was “possibly engaged in smuggling activity,” United States Navy 5th Fleet spokesman Commander Tim Hawkins told the Washington Examiner.
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Ambrey, a British maritime security company, said Iranian forces attempted to seize a small Tanzanian-flagged tanker around 60 nautical miles northeast of the Saudi Arabian port city of Dammam, according to Reuters.
The U.S. Navy did not intervene in the situation due to “doubt in terms of the operational activities of this commercial vessel — the potential that it was illegally smuggling oil,” Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder told reporters on Thursday.
“U.S. naval forces deployed maritime assets to closely monitor the situation,” Hawkins said. “Ultimately, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command assessed the circumstances of this event did not warrant further response. U.S. forces remain vigilant and ready to protect navigational rights of lawful maritime traffic in the Middle East’s critical waters.”
The U.S. Navy deterred Iranian forces from seizing two commercial tankers on Wednesday.
An Iranian navy vessel approached the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker TRF Moss in international waters in the Gulf of Oman, though it departed when the U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul (DDG 74) arrived at the scene, while roughly three hours later, another Iranian vessel began harassing the Bahamian-flagged oil tanker Richmond Voyager in international waters roughly 20 miles off the coast of Muscat, Oman.
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The Iranian forces opened fire during the second seizure attempt, though no one was injured, and the Iranian vessel left once McFaul arrived in the area.
Iranian naval forces have harassed, attacked, or seized nearly 20 internationally flagged merchant vessels since 2021, according to the Fifth Fleet.