A US destroyer has prevented attempts by the Iranian Navy to seize two commercial tankers in international waters in the Gulf of Oman with even shots being fired at one of the tankers.
According to an account of the events by the US Navy, an Iranian naval vessel approached the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker TRF Moss in international waters in the Gulf of Oman at 1 am local time.
The Iranian vessel departed after the US Navy guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul arrived at the scene. The US Navy added that it also deployed the MQ-9 Reaper and P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft for surveillance.
Just three hours later, the US Navy received a distress call from the Bahamian-flagged oil tanker Richmond Voyager. At the time, the tanker was more than 30 km off the coast of Muscat, Oman, and transiting international waters toward the Arabian Sea.
. At the time, the tanker was more than 30 km off the coast of Muscat, Oman, and transiting international waters toward the Arabian Sea.The US Navy claimed that another Iranian naval vessel had “closed within one mile” of the Richmond Voyager while ordering the commercial tanker to stop.
The USS McFaul was again the vessel to respond to the distress call. The tanker did not stop as instructed and continued its transit at increased speed. Before the destroyer arrived, personnel from the Iranian vessel “fired multiple, long bursts from both small arms and crew-served weapons” at the tanker.
“Richmond Voyager sustained no casualties or significant damage. However, several rounds hit the ship’s hull near the crew living spaces. The Iranian navy vessel departed when McFaul arrived,” the US Navy explained in a statement.
Security consultant firm Ambrey said in an advisory update regarding the incident that the vessel’s funnel was targeted and that the USS McFaul advised the vessel to sail towards Omani territorial waters. The Richmond Voyager did continue its journey to Singapore but within Omani territorial waters, according to Ambrey’s update citing a statement by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations.
Both the TRF Moss and Richmond Voyager incidents occurred in international waters. The navy’s statement did mention that the US increased the rotation of ships and aircraft patrolling the Strait of Hormuz in May following an uptick in Iranian merchant vessel seizures. Since 2021, Iran has harassed, attacked, or seized nearly 20 internationally flagged merchant vessels, the US Navy claimed.
In a new update regarding the incident, Reuters quoted Iran’s IRINN news agency which claimed that Iran had a court order for the seizure of the Richmond Voyager tanker after it collided with an Iranian vessel in the Oman Sea.
