US says it thwarted Iranian Navy’s attempted tanker seizures in Gulf of Oman

WASHINGTON (AA): The US military prevented Iranian warships from seizing two oil tankers near the coast of Oman on Wednesday, according to the United States Central Command (CENTCOM).

CENTCOM said in a statement that an Iranian ship opened fire in one of the incidents, adding both incidents occurred in international waters.

In one incident that took place at 1 a.m. local time, an Iranian naval vessel approached the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker TRF Moss in the Gulf of Oman. But CENTCOM said the situation de-escalated as the US Navy guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul (DDG 74) arrived, causing the Iranian vessel to depart.

Three hours later, the US Navy was alerted by the distressed Bahamian-flagged oil tanker Richmond Voyager, which the command said was more than 20 nautical miles off the coast of Muscat, Oman’s capital, and moving through international waters towards the Arabian Sea.

“McFaul directed course toward Richmond Voyager at maximum speed as the merchant tanker continued its transit. Prior to McFaul’s arrival on scene, Iranian personnel fired multiple, long bursts from both small arms and crew-served weapons,” said the statement.

Since 2021, Iran has harassed, attacked or seized nearly 20 internationally flagged merchant vessels, said the statement.