24 Indian crew members on US-bound tanker seized by Iran, says operator

Dubai: As many as 24 Indian crew members were aboard a US-bound oil tanker that Iranian commandos had seized, the vessel’s operator said on Friday, adding that they were seeking to obtain their release. Iranian state media broadcast footage of naval commandos landing on the deck of the Advantage Sweet, which Tehran claimed to have seized on Thursday following an alleged accident with one of its warships off the coast of Oman. Past experience shows that crew caught up in similar incidents are in “no danger”, the ship’s operator, Advantage Tankers told AFP. The Marshall Islands-flagged vessel was being taken to port by Iran’s navy because of an “international dispute”, the operator said in a statement. “Similar experiences show that crew members of vessels taken under such circumstances are in no danger,” it said, adding that the company was “in close touch with all the appropriate authorities to obtain the release of the crew and vessel”. Iran said the tanker had crashed into one of its vessels, leaving two Iranian crew members missing and injuring several others. It said it tried to make contact with the tanker to ask it to stop but it did not respond, prompting the seizure. The US Navy demanded the ship’s immediate release, slamming Iran’s “continued harassment” in Gulf waters. The vessel had picked up oil from Kuwait and was chartered by Chevron Corp, an Advantage Tankers spokesperson said. It was bound for Houston, Texas, according to the MarineTraffic tracking website. Thursday’s seizure was the latest incident in the sensitive waters of the Gulf, which carry about a third of the world’s seaborne oil. Such incidents have grown more frequent since 2018 when the US withdrew from a landmark nuclear agreement between Iran and major powers and reimposed crippling sanctions. Marathon efforts to restore the deal have stalled. The latest seizure came only days after Western governments toughened sanctions on Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.