Iran Claims to Have Seized UAE Tanker After Multiple Attacks Last Week

Iranian media is carrying unconfirmed reports on Monday, August 17, that it has detained a tanker linked to the UAE for violations of its rules for the Strait of Hormuz. It comes after the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the end of last week “strongly condemned and denounced” Iran’s attacks, calling them piracy.

Farh News Agency is repeating the reports from Iranian state TV of the seizure without providing the name or details on the tanker. It says the vessel was seized in the Strait of Hormuz for “violating Iranian maritime laws.” It cites the need to follow the Iranian route as one condition and “payment for services and Iran’s permit” as other conditions. The tanker was reportedly taken toward Qeshm Island.

The rumors immediately rattled global oil markets, which were already on edge. The price of a barrel of Brent crude futures quickly jumped above $91 a barrel. It compares with a price of below $70 a barrel before the U.S. and Israel started the campaign against Iran at the end of February.

The Emirates has been one of the targets of Iranian aggression. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to the reports of attacks on vessels affiliated with ADNOC, the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company. It demanded that Iran halt these unprovoked attacks.

“Using the Strait of Hormuz as a tool of economic coercion or blackmail represents acts of piracy by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps,” the Ministry wrote in its statement.

Two tankers linked to ADNOC reportedly came under attack on August 14 while attempting a dark transit of the Strait of Hormuz. Maritime AI data firm Windward is identifying them as a Singapore-flagged oil product tanker and a Liberian-flagged Aframax tanker. A third ADNOC tanker was attacked on August 8, with other reports saying as many as 19 vessels, including bulkers and other types, linked to ADNOC have been targeted by Iran.

Despite the U.S. assertion that traffic continues to move through the Strait, Kpler data shows a dramatic fall-off over the weekend after news of the latest targeting of the ADNOC tankers. Kpler data cited by Reuters says only five tankers exited with their AIS signals transmitting on Saturday, August 15, and none on Sunday. That is down from 31 tankers the previous weekend.

Kpler notes that its data does not include tankers traveling “dark.” Bloomberg separately contends in its reporting that the majority of tankers are transiting in the dark, and that is what was keeping oil prices in check.

Donald Trump told reporters on Monday afternoon that he would not be extending the so-called memorandum of peace with Iran, which expires today. He asserted that Americans are paying “only a little more” for gasoline and that it was worth it because Iran was being defeated.

U.S. Central Command reports that as of August 17, U.S. forces have redirected 64 commercial vessels, disabled three, and boarded two to ensure compliance with the blockade. It calls it “America’s US steel wall blockade,” with U.S. officials saying it can be maintained indefinitely.