Iran has released the Greek-owned oil tanker St. Nikolas after nearly two years of detention, maritime intelligence firm TankerTrackers reports. The vessel had been held since January 2024.
TankerTrackers reported that the 158,600-dwt tanker was “secretly freed” in the Persian Gulf. Ship operator Empire Navigation later confirmed the vessel was released at 02:00 local time on January 9 and immediately sailed out of Iranian waters.
The tanker proceeded to the port of Shina, Oman, where it anchored on January 10. The 13 crew members – nationals of Russia, Indonesia and Croatia – are reported to be in good health.
The vessel is in operational condition, except for its tracking systems. Empire said the ship’s long-range identification and tracking (LRIT) system was destroyed while in captivity. Although the crew reconnected the AIS, it remains inoperable.
St. Nikolas was seized by Iranian forces in January 2024 after arriving in Oman, in what was widely viewed as retaliation for a U.S. sanctions case. In 2023, when the ship was operating under the name Suez Rajan, U.S. authorities confiscated and later sold more than 980,000 barrels of Iranian crude carried on board. After discharging the cargo in Texas, the tanker returned to the Middle East under its new name.
St. Nikolas release closes one episode in a long-running cycle of vessel seizures between Iran and Western countries. Similar incidents in recent years have included the detention of tankers near the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman, key transit routes for global energy trade.
The Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters handle around a fifth of the world’s traded oil, yet remain vulnerable to politically driven detentions. Shipping organizations have repeatedly warned owners to exercise caution when operating close to Iranian waters.
