Iranian navy commandos seize US-bound oil tanker Advantage Sweet: video
Iranian state television aired footage on Friday of its helicopter-borne commandos swooping in and seizing control of a US-bound oil tanker that was sailing through international waters in the Gulf of Oman.
A video of the assault shows masked Iranian navy commandos rappelling from a hovering chopper onto the deck of the Chinese-owned Advantage Sweet.
One was photographed with his fist in the air after they took over the tanker, which was on its way from Kuwait to Houston.
Tehran says it captured the ship Thursday because it ran into an unidentified Iranian vessel and hurt several crew members.
But the country hasn’t proven its claim — and the act fits into Iran’s pattern of grabbing other ships and holding them as bargaining chips in negotiations with the West.
It’s the fifth commercial vessel seized by Iranian forces in the past two years, the US Navy’s 5th Fleet said.
“Iran’s actions are contrary to international law and disruptive to regional security and stability,” the 5th Fleet said after the raid.
“The Iranian government should immediately release the oil tanker.
A screengrab shows Iranian commandoes seizing China’s US-bound oil tanker Advantage Sweet on Thursday. Iranian Army office/AFP via Getty Images
It’s the fifth such unlawful seizure of a vessel in the last two years, the US Navy said. Iranian Army office/AFP via Getty Images
“Iran’s continued harassment of vessels and interference with navigational rights in regional waters are a threat to maritime security and the global economy,” the Navy added.
The ship had 24 Indian crew members.
Iranian state TV showed the video on Friday. AP
The country claimed it took the boat because it had hit an Iranian vessel. But it has not proven its claims. Iranian Army office/AFP via Getty Images
“The safety and welfare of our valued crew members is our No. 1 priority,” Advantage Tankers, the Turkish firm that manages the boat, said in a statement. “Similar experiences show that crew members of vessels taken under such circumstances are in no danger.”
The last major seizure came when Iran took two Greek tankers in May and held them until November.
With Post wires
Source: New York Post
