On Thursday, Iranian military forces seized the Advantage Sweet, a Suezmax tanker with 24 Indian crew members, which is operated by Turkey’s Advantage Tankers, as reported by Splash247.
Anchored in international waters
The ship, owned by SPDB Financial Leasing of China, is currently anchored in Bandar Abbas, Iran, after being taken into international waters. TankerTrackers.com confirmed the location of the vessel and revealed that it was carrying crude oil for Chevron, bound for Houston. Iran’s actions were reportedly in response to a Greek-managed tanker being taken by US authorities eight days earlier for carrying Iranian oil, which is subject to sanctions. Previous instances of Iran seizing tankers have resulted in prolonged detention periods for the crews, lasting up to six months.
Tanker detained
Over the weekend, a spokesman for Advantage Tankers stated: “We remain very concerned for our crew and wish to see them repatriated as soon as possible.”
According to marine security company Ambrey, US officials detained a tanker with the Marshall Islands flag, US private equity ownership, and Greek management at least five days before the Iranian government detained the same vessel. It was believed that this vessel was transporting Iranian crude oil against US sanctions. The vessel was seized by US officials after a court order was obtained.
Did you subscribe to our newsletter?
It’s free! Click here to subscribe!
Source: Splash247
