Iran Guards seize commercial ship in Gulf
A fast-attack craft of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy is seen during a joint exercise with the Chinese and Russian navies in the Gulf of Oman in March 2023
Dubai – Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on Thursday seized a commercial ship “possibly engaged in smuggling activity” in the Gulf, the US Navy said.
US forces monitored the incident in international waters, the Bahrain-based US Navy’s Fifth Fleet said in a statement, but “assessed the circumstances of this event did not warrant further response”.
On Wednesday, the US Navy said it had blocked two attempts by the Iranian navy to seize commercial tankers in international waters off Oman.
Furthermore, Britain on Thursday announced plans for a tougher sanctions regime against Iran over alleged human rights violations and hostile actions on UK soil.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said the “further measures” were “a toolkit that I would prefer not to use, but the decision on whether I do so or whether I do not, is firmly in the hands of the Iranian regime itself”.