An oil tanker, previously known as the Suez Rajan and now identified as the St Nikolas, was boarded by “unauthorized” men in military uniforms in the Gulf of Oman. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKTMO) reported that the incident occurred early on Thursday morning in the waters between Oman and Iran. This area is a critical passage for ships entering and leaving the Strait of Hormuz, a key chokepoint for global oil trade.
The St Nikolas, under the flag of the Marshall Islands, had a history of being at the center of a dispute between Iran and the United States. In February 2022, the tanker was involved in a controversy when the group United Against Nuclear Iran suspected that it was transporting oil from Iran’s Khargh Island. Later, the United States Justice Department seized 1 million barrels of Iranian crude oil from the vessel.
In this photo provided by the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence on January 10, 2024, taken from the bridge of HMS Diamond, Sea Viper missiles are fired in the Red Sea. Al Houthis have fired their largest-ever barrage of drones and missiles targeting shipping in the Red Sea, forcing the United States and British navies to shoot down the projectiles in a major naval engagement.
The ship’s seizure by the United States led to a series of tensions, including Iran’s seizure of two tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. The St Nikolas had been off the Iraqi city of Basra, loading crude oil for Turkey, when it was boarded. The vessel’s tracker was reportedly turned off as it veered towards Bandar-e-Jask in Iran.
This recent incident adds to the string of maritime tensions in the region, following weeks of attacks in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who are Iranian-backed. These attacks have raised concerns about the safety of shipping in these strategic waterways. The Houthis have claimed their actions are in response to the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, targeting ships with little or no connection to Israel.
Empire Navigation, the Greek shipping company operating the vessel, confirmed losing contact with the ship, which has a crew of 18 Filipinos and one Greek national. The company, however, did not provide further details. The incident adds to the complexity of the ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, particularly involving Iran and its actions in key maritime routes​​​
