Iran’s Navy said it had seized a vessel loaded with crude oil off the coast of Oman on Thursday after an armed group wearing military-style uniforms and black masks boarded the ship.
The vessel, previously named the Suez Rajan, was seized last year by the U.S. government over allegations that it was carrying Iranian oil in violation of American sanctions. The ship eventually unloaded the oil and continued to sail, but under a new name, St. Nikolas.
The ship was seized off the city of Sohar on Oman’s northern coast, near the Strait of Hormuz, according to a British government advisory group, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations.
“Unknown voices” were heard over the phone, along with the captain’s voice, according to the advisory group, which sends maritime security information to merchant vessels. The ship then changed course to head toward Iranian territorial waters, and communication was lost, the group said.
