A Marshall Islands–flagged crude oil tanker, Talara, has been apprehended today by three small boats belonging to the Iranian military whilst transiting the Gulf of Oman on a voyage from the United Arab Emirates to Singapore. The 73,371 dwt has since been redirected to the Iranian coastline. The ship is managed by Columbia and owned by Cyprus-based Pasha Finance. This marks the first Iranian hijacking of a commercial vessel this year. The last confirmed hijacking of a commercial vessel by Iranian military forces was in April 2024, when Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) seized the MSC Aries, a Portuguese-flagged container ship, via a helicopter-borne operation in international waters. “Merchant vessels are advised to remain vigilant while transiting the Strait of Hormuz and to report any suspicious activity immediately,” maritime security specialist advised today. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1_95_0_1_2'); });