Energy
Thursday, January 11th, 2024 3:18 pm EDT
Key Points
- The Iranian navy seized the vessel in the Gulf of Oman after it surrendered Iranian crude to U.S. authorities, which Iran claims was theft.
- The UK Marine Trade Operations reported an unnamed tanker boarded by armed individuals near the Gulf of Oman, changing course toward Iranian waters.
- The St. Nikolas, en route to the Turkish port Aliaga, was staffed by 18 Philippine and one Greek crew members.
Iran reportedly captured the oil tanker St. Nikolas in the Gulf of Oman, a vessel that was previously involved in a dispute between Washington and Tehran over carrying U.S.-sanctioned crude. According to Iranian state media, the tanker surrendered Iranian crude to U.S. authorities following allegations of sanctions violations, a move that Iran claims was a theft rather than forfeiture. The U.K. Marine Trade Operations reported that an unnamed tanker, later identified as the St. Nikolas, was boarded by armed individuals near the Gulf of Oman, changing course toward Iranian waters. The vessel, en route to the Turkish port Aliaga after loading crude from the Iraqi Basrah Oil Terminal, had 18 Philippine and one Greek crew members on board. The St. Nikolas had previously been implicated in a U.S. Department of Justice resolution over sanctions violations related to loading Iranian oil. This incident is part of a series of Red Sea attacks, with Yemen’s Houthi movement targeting commercial vessels. Tensions between the U.S. and Iran have heightened, particularly following the Israel-Hamas conflict, with implications for oil prices sensitive to Middle East turmoil due to potential supply bottlenecks. The ICE Brent futures contract rose to $78.03 per barrel, while the Nymex WTI contract increased to $72.62 per barrel in response to the incident.
For the full original article on CNBC, please click here: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/01/11/ship-hijacked-in-gulf-of-oman-changes-course-for-iran-waters.html
