Iran says 2 ‘fuel smuggling’ vessels seized in Persian Gulf

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Thursday that it had seized two "fuel-smuggling" vessels near Farsi Island, off the coast of Bushehr province in the Persian Gulf.

In a statement, the public relations wing of the IRGC Navy said its forces "intercepted and seized" the two vessels in waters near Farsi Island, a small, barren island in the Persian Gulf.

According to the statement, more than one million liters of "smuggled fuel" were discovered aboard the vessels, and 15 foreign crew members were handed over to judicial authorities to undergo legal procedures.

The IRGC alleged that the vessels had been operating as "part of an organized network engaged in fuel smuggling" over recent months and were identified and seized following "surveillance, tracking, and intelligence operations" carried out by its personnel.

The statement did not specify the vessels' country of origin or destination or the nationalities of the crew members detained during the operation.

The seizure comes amid heightened tensions in the Persian Gulf, as the United States has increased its military presence in the region, with US President Donald Trump threatening military action against Iran.

Following mediation by several regional countries, Iran and the United States have agreed to hold indirect nuclear talks in Muscat, Oman, on Friday.

Thursday's incident occurred less than two months after the IRGC seized another vessel in the Persian Gulf carrying four million liters of what it described as "smuggled fuel."