Wednesday marked the second time in one week that Iranian forces have harassed and commandeered a foreign vessel, according to the U.S. Navy.
The Panamanian-flagged oil tanker Niovi was passing through the Strait of Hormuz between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman when it was overtaken by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) of Iran.
Approximately twelve members of the IRGCN boarded the fast-attack craft and surrounded the Niovi. The IRGCN then compelled the crew to reverse course and return to Iranian territorial waters.
The Panama oil tanker was seized while transiting from Dubai to Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates.
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Aerial footage declassified and released by the United States Navy captures the Iranian operation.
In less than a week, this is Iran’s second illegal seizure of a foreign vessel.
The oil tanker Advantage Sweet, flying the flag of the Marshall Islands, was captured by Iranian forces last week after leaving Kuwait en route to Houston, the U.S. Navy announced on Sunday.
Iranian forces approached the oil tanker by helicopter as it traversed the Gulf of Oman, as captured on video from the incident involving the Advantage Sweet.
