Iranian commandos seize Houston-bound oil tanker with 28 crew members

[Bilal9]

The footage showed the commandos descending on the deck of the "Advantage Sweet" by ropes from a hovering helicopter. There are 24 crew members aboard.​

Author: Associated Press
Published: 12:18 PM CDT April 28, 2023
Updated: 12:30 PM CDT April 28, 2023

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Masked Iranian navy commandos conducted a helicopter-borne raid to seize a U.S.-bound oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman, footage aired by Iran's state television showed Friday.

The capture on Thursday of the Turkish-managed, Chinese-owned Advantage Sweet represents the latest seizure by Iran amid tensions with the U.S. over advancing nuclear program.

The footage showed the commandos descending on the deck of the Advantage Sweet by ropes from a hovering helicopter. A photograph showed one commando with his fist in the air after apparently taking the vessel.

Manifest information from data firm Refinitiv showed the tanker carried Kuwaiti crude oil for American energy firm Chevron Corp. of San Ramon, California. Chevron said it was “aware of the situation.”

“We are in contact with the vessel operator with the hope of resolving this situation as soon as possible,” Chevron spokesperson Christine Dobbyn said in a statement.

While Tehran says the tanker was seized over it running into another Iranian vessel, it has provided no evidence yet to support the claim — and the Islamic Republic has taken other ships as bargaining chips in negotiations with the West.

The U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet has said the Iranian seizure was at least the fifth commercial vessel taken by Tehran in the last two years.

“Iran’s continued harassment of vessels and interference with navigational rights in regional waters are a threat to maritime security and the global economy,” it added.

Satellite tracking data for the vessel from MarineTraffic.com showed it in the Gulf of Oman, just north of Oman's capital, Muscat, on Thursday afternoon. It had just come from Kuwait and listed its destination as Houston.

The Advantage Sweet issued a distress call at 1:15 p.m. while in international waters as Iran seized the vessel, the Navy said.

"Iran’s actions are contrary to international law and disruptive to regional security and stability," the 5th Fleet said in a statement. “Iran should immediately release the oil tanker.”

The Navy initially said Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard seized the vessel, but an American naval aircraft later confirmed that Iran's navy captured the ship, 5th Fleet spokesman Cmdr. Timothy Hawkins told The Associated Press.

Iran's state-run IRNA news agency said the seizure came after an “unknown ship collided with an Iranian vessel last night in the Persian Gulf, causing several Iranian crew members to go missing and get injured.” It did not identify the other ship involved in the alleged collision.

The Advantage Sweet had been in the Persian Gulf on Wednesday, but its track showed no unusual behavior as it transited through the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of all traded oil passes.

Iran has made allegations in other seizures that later fell apart as it became clear Tehran was trying to leverage the capture as a chip to negotiate with foreign nations.

The vessel's manager, a Turkish firm called Advantage Tankers, issued a statement acknowledging the Advantage Sweet was “being escorted by the Iranian navy to a port on the basis of an international dispute.” All the ship's 24 crew members are Indian.

“The safety and welfare of our valued crew members is our No. 1 priority,” the firm said. “Similar experiences show that crew members of vessels taken under such circumstances are in no danger.”

The ship's listed owner appeared to be a Chinese company.

 

[dbc]

it's a Chinese ship so China's problem.

edit: with Indian crew so ...China and India's problem.

 

[HGV]

it's a Chinese ship so China's problem.

edit: with Indian crew so ...China and India's problem.

Actually, the US illegally seized a ship with Iranian oil headed to China, so Iran seized this ship which was chartered by the US carrying Kuwaiti oil headed to USA.

Well done, Iran. Actions like this make us all proud. Seizing the imperialist superpower's ships after they illegally seize ours. An eye for an eye. No one would else dare to do this to the USA.

 

[dbc]

Actually, the US illegally seized a ship with Iranian oil headed to China, so Iran seized this ship which was chartered by the US carrying Kuwaiti oil headed to USA.

Well done, Iran. Actions like this make us all proud. Seizing the imperialist superpower's ships after they illegally seize ours. An eye for an eye. No one would else dare to do this to the USA.

well done indeed you managed to piss of two Iranian friends in the process.

 

[HGV]

well done indeed you managed to piss of two Iranian friends in the process.

Crew of all these ships are usually Indian, never stopped the US from illegally committing piracy in international waters before.

 

[dbc]

Crew of all these ships are usually Indian, never stopped the US from illegally committing piracy in international waters before.

well the US doesn't hold the crew hostage .

Gulf Sky: 'Our ship was hijacked and taken to Iran'

Former crew of the oil tanker Gulf Sky talk publically for the first time about the ship's disappearance.

www.bbc.com

 

[Daylamite Warrior]

well done indeed you managed to piss of two Iranian friends in the process.

Who? Kuwait, India and Turkey? Lol

well the US doesn't hold the crew hostage .

Gulf Sky: 'Our ship was hijacked and taken to Iran'

Former crew of the oil tanker Gulf Sky talk publically for the first time about the ship's disappearance.

www.bbc.com

No, the US most likely threatened to kill the crew on the spot so the crew obliged. Taking hostages is more run of the mill and less violent than that.

 

[Hack-Hook]

it's a Chinese ship so China's problem.

edit: with Indian crew so ...China and India's problem.

with USA oil, when USA hijack our oil for china by bribing the Greek ship operator , we also take oil bound for USA confiscate it let USA have our oil , we will have theirs and after that the ships can go

well done indeed you managed to piss of two Iranian friends in the process.

they don't care , they get what they are due from the ship operator , which is Turkish.
here the ones who really are pissed are Chevron and the ship operator

 

[Muhammed45]

A couple of Fateh-313 can tear 5th fleet apart.

Nothing to be taken seriously by the Iranian side. Let them make wrong move, then destroy their whole fleet in a blink of an eye.

 

[Hack-Hook]

well the US doesn't hold the crew hostage .

Gulf Sky: 'Our ship was hijacked and taken to Iran'

Former crew of the oil tanker Gulf Sky talk publically for the first time about the ship's disappearance.

www.bbc.com

that bbc story
are you aware that Gulf Sky is actually the name of an Iranian Suezmax tanker. USA tried its dirty trick to confiscate it by opining a bogus and false case against it in a sham USA court and confiscate it in UAE , Iran took it back and released the crew into indian authority care in Tehran except two who had outdated passport they immediately sent to india those two several week later , the rest of the BBC story is fiction . it just bad for USA that UAE was not willing to participate wholeheartedly in the plot
about the payment and wages of the crew , it's not Iran duty to pay for that , its previous owner who had to do that


by the way more interesting part of the article is right the end of it

But while the sailors look for answers, some people aren't entirely convinced by their version of events. Others believe some seafarers may have been a part of the plot.
"We're happy that they've reached home and are safe, but there are a lot of questions," says Captain Abdulla Al-Hayyas.

One concern is how the ship was able to sail so quickly after the alleged hijacking. Usually, it would take a long time to prime a ship's engines and hoist up the anchor.
The ship's engine had also fallen into disrepair, says Mr Shakeel, and hadn't been officially inspected for months. He believes that any hijackers would have needed help from the crew - to prepare the engines beforehand, and to assess if Gulf Sky could make it safely to Iran.
Crew members who've spoken to the BBC have denied helping their captors.
"It's outrageous," said one sailor. "Someone with their brain in the right place wouldn't accuse us of that. If we were involved and paid by the Iranians, why are we fighting for our salaries?"
With the ship's whereabouts unknown, and its owners silent, the Gulf Sky's former crew say justice has become elusive.
For now, nearly all of those interviewed by the BBC are back at sea, working on ships around the world. But it's not been an easy decision.

 

[dbc]

here the ones who really are pissed are Chevron

don't be silly the cargo is insured, the ship belongs to China. Pretty sure the Chinese will be upset about losing a ship. The operator leases the vessel and isn't liable for anything other than the lease payment for the duration of the lease.

 

[villageidiot]

Uh oh! You don't get between America and it's oil.

 

[Hack-Hook]

don't be silly the cargo is insured, the ship belongs to China. Pretty sure the Chinese will be upset about losing a ship. The operator leases the vessel and isn't liable for anything other than the lease payment for the duration of the lease.

not loosing it , the ship belong to Chinese group but operated by a Turkish company . the Chinese group get its lease money the Turkish company had to pay the money without making any benefit and they had to pay fine if they were not able to hand the ship back after the term of the lease ends. its chevron and the operating Turkish company who are facing the consequences , its certain the cargo will be confiscated and will be sent to China as usa stole the cargo of an iranian ship bound for china.
the ship will be released later after they paid compensation for the boat they supposedly ran over .

here Chevron must pay higher for insuring its later cargo from middle east. the Turkish company have to pay Chinese without making any benefit and the captain will face criminal charges

Uh oh! You don't get between America and it's oil.

unless you are Iran

 

[dbc]

not loosing it , the ship belong to Chinese group but operated by a Turkish company . the Chinese group get its lease money the Turkish company had to pay the money without making any benefit and they had to pay fine if they were not able to hand the ship back after the term of the lease ends. its chevron and the operating Turkish company who are facing the consequences , its certain the cargo will be confiscated and will be sent to China as usa stole the cargo of an iranian ship bound for china.
the ship will be released later after they paid compensation for the boat they supposedly ran over .

here Chevron must pay higher for insuring its later cargo from middle east. the Turkish company have to pay Chinese without making any benefit and the captain will face criminal charges


unless you are Iran

typical Iranian fantasies..

 

[MastanKhan]

well done indeed you managed to piss of two Iranian friends in the process.

Hi,

You can clap around as much as you want to---but they did not piss off any friends---.

'Friends' understand what Iran has done---.