Iran has seized a ship in the Strait of Hormuz for the first time in over a year. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard seized the tanker “Talara” on Friday. It is operated by the Columbia Group, which belongs to Schoeller Holding.
The ship was traveling from the United Arab Emirates to Singapore when it was intercepted in the Strait of Hormuz and diverted into Iranian waters. According to Columbia, contact with the tanker broke off about 20 nautical miles off the coast of Khor Fakkan. The tanker was reportedly carrying high-sulphur gas oil. The Revolutionary Guard declared on Saturday that it was carrying “unauthorized cargo”; no further statements were read out.
Built in 2010, the “Talara” (42,010 GT) is 228 m long and 32 m wide. It sails under the flag of the Marshall Islands and is owned by Cyprus-based Pasha Finance.
First incident since “MSC Aries”
This is the first time in over a year that Iran has taken such action. The last time the container ship “MSC Aries ” (15,000 TEU) was hijacked in the Strait of Hormuz was in April 2024. The crew was not allowed to leave the ship for months. This was in retaliation for an Israeli missile attack on the Iranian embassy in Syria. The ship was chosen because it is owned by Israeli shipowner Eyal Ofer’s Zodiac Maritime.
The Strait of Hormuz is an approximately 55 km wide strait between Iran and Oman. It is one of the world’s most important shipping routes for the oil trade. The USA regularly accuses the Iranian navy of obstructing traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and the adjacent Gulf of Oman. (JW)
