On April 28th, the Iranian navy seized an oil tanker named Advantage Sweet that was flying the flag of the Marshall Islands. The tanker had 24 Indian crew members on board and was en route to the United States from Kuwait, with Houston listed as its destination. The U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet called for Iran to immediately release the tanker, stating that Iran's actions violated international law and threatened regional security and stability.
Iran's state-run news agency claimed that the tanker was seized in response to an incident in which an unknown ship collided with an Iranian vessel in the Persian Gulf the previous night, causing injuries and missing crew members. However, the tanker's track did not show any unusual behaviour as it transited through the Strait of Hormuz. Maritime security firm Dryad Global stated that Iran's actions were consistent with a pattern of behaviour in which the country targeted vessels in ongoing disputes.
This was at least the fifth commercial vessel seized by Iran in the past two years. The tanker was carrying Kuwaiti crude oil for Chevron Corp., a U.S. energy firm. The seizure was the latest in a series of ship seizures and explosions in the region that began after the U.S. unilaterally withdrew from Iran's nuclear deal. Talks over Iran's nuclear deal have been stalled for a year, and the country has enriched enough uranium up to 60% purity, which is a short technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%.
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