US Navy Claims Iran Tried to Seize 2 Oil Tankers

Facts

• The US Navy said it thwarted an attempt by Iran to seize two oil tankers near the strategic Strait of Hormuz early Wednesday. The US Navy reportedly opened fire and Iranian vessels abandoned their mission after the US deployed a guided missile destroyer, leaving the commercial tankers unharmed.¹
• At 1 a.m. local time, the first seizure attempt on a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker was stopped by the USS McFaul, a guided-missile destroyer. The second, more aggressive attack on the Chevron-managed Richmond Voyager came three hours later, as a separate Iranian ship came within one mile of the crude carrier.²
• A Navy statement said the Richmond Voyager was more than 20 miles off the coast of Muscat, Oman, and “Iranian personnel fired multiple, long bursts from both small arms and crew-served weapons," before the McFaul approached the scene at maximum speed.³
• A spokesman for the Navy’s Fifth Fleet said Iran’s gunshots on the Richmond Voyager didn't cause any casualties or major damage, adding that “The U.S. Navy responded immediately and prevented those seizures.”⁴
• The US says that the attempted oil seizure in the Gulf of Oman occurred in international waters, and the Navy has bolstered its security in the Strait of Hormuz since May, citing increased Iranian efforts to capture commercial vessels. The US says Iran “attacked or seized” almost 20 oil tankers since 2021.⁵
• The growing encounters come as tensions between the US and Iran continue to escalate. On April 27, Iran’s Navy seized a tanker that it claimed hit their boat; a day later, Iran forced a boat into its waters, which the US called an “unlawful seizure” while Iran said the tanker violated maritime law.⁶

Sources: ¹ABC News, ²FOX News, ³Reuters, ⁴Associated Press, ⁵Al Jazeera, and ⁶CNN.

Narratives

• Anti-Iran narrative, as provided by United States Navy. Thankfully, the US Navy was able to thwart yet another one of Iran’s attempts to illegally seize oil tankers from international waters. Iran sent warships after the two vessels and even fired at them as it continues to defy international law. The threat of Iran is rising to an all-time high, and the Iranian Navy’s efforts to attack oil-carrying vessels are a perfect example. The US Navy will prevent these incidents.
• Pro-Iran narrative, as provided by Arab News. Washington continues to provoke tensions with Tehran as it seizes Iranian oil vessels as part of its retaliation against Iran’s nuclear program. In addition to defying international maritime law, the US is also making an already-volatile oil market even more shaky. The US acts like it is above international rules, and that it has a right to take what does not belong to it. The US is the clear aggressor and must respect Iran’s sovereignty.

Predictions