WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) – The United States accuses the Iranian Navy of trying to detain two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman. Shots were fired at one of the ships, the US Navy said on Wednesday. US forces prevented the Iranian Navy from hijacking the tankers.
Iran denied the incident, state radio reported, citing security circles.
According to US sources, an Iranian naval ship first approached an oil tanker on Wednesday night and only moved away again when a US Navy ship arrived. About three hours later, another oil tanker alerted the US Navy: An Iranian naval ship had approached the tanker and asked him to stop. The Iranians fired shots before the US destroyer arrived, and several bullets hit the hull of the ship. Both incidents occurred in international waters.
In the past there have been repeated incidents involving tankers in the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf. In particular, the Strait of Hormuz, an approximately 55-kilometer-wide strait between Iran and Oman, is considered one of the most important shipping routes for global oil exports. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards arrested an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz in early May. Since 2021, Iran has harassed nearly 20 international flag merchant ships, the US Navy said on Wednesday./lkl/arb/DP/he