On May 3, 2023, the Panama-flagged oil tanker Niovi was in the Strait of Hormuz when this still shot from a film made by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard appeared. A Panama-flagged oil tanker was taken by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, marking the second such takeover by Tehran in recent days, according to the U.S. Navy. (American Navy via AP)
United Arab Emirates: DUBAI Amid heightened tensions over its nuclear programme, Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard captured an oil tanker sailing under the flag of Panama on Wednesday in the strategically important Strait of Hormuz. This is Tehran’s second such capture in less than a week.
Concerns about Iran endangering maritime transportation in the strait, the small opening to the Persian Gulf, through which a fifth of all crude travels, were rekindled by the seizure of the oil tanker Niovi. Additionally, it coincides with reports that the United States may have intercepted a crude oil tanker in southeast Asia that was believed to be carrying Iranian crude oil.