A Marshall Islands-flagged tanker, Talara, was seized by Iranian military forces while transiting the Gulf of Oman on a voyage from the United Arab Emirates to Singapore. According to industry sources, three small Iranian military craft intercepted the 73,371-dwt vessel on Friday morning, diverting it toward the Iranian coastline after communication with the crew was lost around 08:22 local time. The incident occurred roughly 20 nautical miles off Khorfakkan, UAE.
Over the weekend, satellite data confirmed that Talara had been moved to the Khuran Strait, north of Qeshm Island – an anchorage long associated with vessels detained by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). TankerTrackers.com identified the ship at the site, which has served as a repeated holding ground in previous Iranian maritime seizures.
Iranian state media released an IRGC statement claiming the tanker was “in violation for carrying unauthorized cargo.” The vessel’s manager, Columbia Shipmanagement, reported it had been carrying high-sulphur gasoil bound for Singapore at the time of the interception. The tanker is owned by Cyprus-based Pasha Finance.
This is Iran’s first confirmed hijacking of a commercial vessel in 2025. The most recent previous incident occurred in April 2024, when IRGC forces boarded and seized the Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries during a helicopter-borne operation in international waters.
Maritime security specialists are urging merchant ships to maintain heightened awareness while navigating the Strait of Hormuz and to report suspicious activity without delay.
