MADRID, 7 (EUROPA PRESS)
The Iranian authorities have confirmed this Friday the seizure of a ship that was transporting hundreds of tons of contraband fuel in the waters of the Persian Gulf, an operation that has resulted in the arrest of the twelve crew members.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Navy has indicated that the ship was carrying about 900 tons of fuel, without further details for the moment, as reported by the Iranian news agency Mehr.
Hours earlier, the US Navy had pointed to the seizure and said it could be an operation against smuggling in the Persian Gulf, just a day after the United States denounced an attempt by the Iranian Navy to intercept two ships in the area, after which Tehran indicated that it had a court order to seize one of them after being involved in a collision.
However, on this occasion the US Navy has indicated that, after monitoring the situation and observing the behavior of the crew and the history of the ship, it decided not to intervene in any way, as reported by the US television network CNN.
“Ultimately, US Naval Forces Central Command felt that the circumstances of this event did not warrant a response,” said Central Command spokesman Tim Hawkins.
Finally, he stressed that the US Navy “remains vigilant and prepared to protect the rights of navigation and legal maritime traffic in key waters of the Middle East”, before specifying that ships such as the one intercepted by Iran are allegedly engaged in oil smuggling. to sell it at a higher price abroad.