Third seizure

Iran captures another foreign oil tanker on Persian Gulf: report

This is reportedly the third seizure of its kind amid escalating tensions with the West.

By BJARKE SMITH-MEYER

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps has seized another foreign oil tanker on the Persian Gulf, according to state media, amid escalating tensions between Tehran and the West.

The Iranian Fars News Agency reported Sunday that the Revolutionary Guards detained the ship on Wednesday, claiming it was smuggling fuel to Arab countries and arresting seven foreign nationals on board. According to media reports, the tanker is Iraqi.

Wednesday’s seizure is reportedly the third of its kind in the past month and threatens to strain Iran’s relations with the EU and U.S. even further.

In July, British forces took control of an Iranian oil tanker in Gibraltar that was on its way to Syria, due to suspicions that it was violating EU sanctions.

Tensions between Iran and the West have worsened since U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from a deal — the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — to constrain Iran's nuclear program. European leaders opposed Trump's move.

Trump then imposed sanctions against the country, making it harder for the EU to keep trading with Iran.