Iran said the Strait of Hormuz remained open and ruled out an immediate shutdown, even as ship movements through the waterway nearly came to a standstill during the US-Iran war.
Iran has detained a foreign oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman over suspected fuel smuggling, holding 18 crew and 6 million litres of fuel, in a case officials say is not linked to recent foreign actions.
Iranian forces seized the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker Talara while it transited from the UAE toward Singapore. U.S. officials and maritime security centers say the vessel was redirected into Iranian territorial waters, marking the first such interdiction in months.
The Cameroon-flagged LPG tanker Falcon, reportedly carrying Iranian-origin LPG, caught fire after being hit near Yemen, intensifying concerns over maritime security in the Gulf of Aden.
The United States has expanded sanctions targeting Iran’s oil export network, adding Chinese-linked import terminals and shipping operators to its blacklist.
