Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed to have seized a United Kingdom-flagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, less than 48 hours after Iranian forces captured another foreign ship that they accused of smuggling fuel. The tanker’s possible capture is the latest in a series of incidents that has increased international tensions with Iran.
The British tanker Stena Impero was en route to Saudi Arabia when it was seized, and its owners have now lost contact with the vessel, according to the BBC. The U.K. Foreign Office is seeking more information on the ship, and officials held an emergency meeting following Iran’s announcement. The Revolutionary Guard claimed that the Stena Impero had violated maritime regulations, but did not provide any proof of its accusation.
Iran’s alleged seizure of the Stena Impero coincided with authorities in Gibraltar declaring on Friday that they would extend the confinement of an Iranian oil tanker, the Grace 1, which British Royal Marines seized earlier this month for allegedly violating sanctions by shipping oil to Syria. Iran has condemned the detention of the Grace 1 and threatened to seize a British ship in retaliation.
Iran also seized a Panamanian-flagged oil tanker on Thursday morning, broadcasting images of military speedboats circling the ship. Later that day, President Donald Trump claimed that a U.S. warship downed an Iranian drone that came too close to the ship in international waters. Iran denied that it lost a drone, and the U.S. has not released further evidence clarifying the incident.
The U.S. and Iran have been in a tense standoff in recent months after a series of escalating incidents that included the U.S. announcing it would deploy more troops to the region, moving an aircraft carrier strike group to the Persian Gulf and blaming Iran for sabotaging oil tankers. The dispute nearly resulted in the U.S. launching airstrikes against Iranian targets in June, after Iran downed an unmanned U.S. drone it claimed had violated its airspace.
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Relations between the two countries have deteriorated since Trump withdrew the U.S. from the 2015 nuclear deal last year, resulting in Iran becoming increasingly belligerent as it seeks to push back against U.S. sanctions and military pressure. After complying with the terms of deal even after Trump’s withdrawal, Iran surpassed the amount of uranium that the agreement allowed it to enrich earlier this month. The alleged seizure of the Stena Impero creates yet another problem for diplomats to untangle.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Related…
Iran Announces New Violation Of Nuclear Deal Amid Heightening Tensions With U.S.
Iran Seizes Foreign Oil Tanker With Crew Of 12, State TV Says
Trump Claims U.S. Warship Downed Iranian Drone In The Strait Of Hormuz
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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.