Tanker war resumes in Persian Gulf

Iran accuses US Navy of defending fuel smuggling

An Iranian Revolutionary Guards Commander accused the US Navy on Monday of defending fuel smuggling in the Gulf by trying to interfere when Iran intercepted a ship last week.

"On July 06, Revolutionary Guards' Navy personnel were inspecting a ship with the name NADA 2 that was involved in smuggling Iranian oil and gas in the Persian Gulf, which the Americans sought to prevent through a series of unprofessional and risky actions," IRGC Commander Ramazan Zirrahi said in comments reported by Iran's Tasnim news agency.

On July 07, Iran's Fars news agency reported that the Revolutionary Guards had seized a vessel carrying 900 tons of smuggled fuel with 12 crew members, following a court order.

"The Americans flew several aircraft, including two A-10 fighters, and tried until the last moment to prevent the seizure of the vessel, but it was eventually brought to Bushehr port for legal procedures," he added.

US 5th Fleet spokesperson Commander Tim Hawkins had said last week that the US Navy had monitored the interception of the ship in international waters but had decided not to make any further response.

The incident was one of several involving Iranian forces and Gulf shipping last week.

In another incident, the US Navy said Iranian naval personnel had fired multiple, long bursts at the Bahamas-flagged Richmond Voyager managed by US oil major Chevron, following Tehran's claims that the ship was involved in a collision which injured 5 crew members from an Iranian ship.

Chevron denied the tanker was involved in a collision and said it had not been notified of legal proceedings or court orders by Iran regarding the ship.

 

US Navy says it prevented Iran from seizing tankers in Gulf of Oman

The US Navy said it had intervened to prevent Iran from seizing two commercial tankers in the Gulf of Oman on Wednesday, in the latest in a series of attacks on ships in the area since 2019.

In a statement, the US Navy said that at 2100 GMT, an Iranian naval vessel had approached the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker TRF Moss in international waters in the Gulf of Oman.

"The Iranian vessel departed the scene when US Navy guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul arrived on station," the statement said, adding that the Navy had deployed surveillance assets including maritime patrol aircraft.

The Navy said that around three hours later it received a distress call from Bahamas-flagged oil tanker Richmond Voyager while the ship was more than 20 miles (32 km) off the coast of Muscat, Oman, and transiting international waters.

"Another Iranian naval vessel had closed within one mile of Richmond Voyager while hailing the commercial tanker to stop," the Navy statement said, adding that the McFaul directed course towards the merchant ship at maximum speed.

"Prior to McFaul’s arrival on scene, Iranian personnel fired multiple, long bursts from both small arms and crew-served weapons," the Navy said.

"Richmond Voyager sustained no casualties or significant damage. However, several rounds hit the ship’s hull near crew living spaces. The Iranian navy vessel departed when McFaul arrived."

US oil major Chevron confirmed that it managed the Richmond Voyager, that crew onboard were safe and the vessel was operating normally.

The TRF Moss' manager is listed in public database Equasis as Singapore-based Navig8 Chemicals Asia, but Navig8 told Reuters it was not connected with the tanker. The vessel's manager could not be immediately located.

Iran's state news agency IRNA said on Wednesday that Iranian authorities have not commented yet on the matter.

"The United States will respond to Iranian aggression together with our global allies and our partners in the Middle East region to ensure the freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and other vital waterways," a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council said.

Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of US Naval Forces Central Command, cited the exceptional effort by the McFaul crew for immediately responding and preventing another seizure.

Since 2019, there has been a series of attacks on shipping in strategic Gulf waters at times of tension between the United States and Iran.

Iran seized two oil tankers in a week just over a month ago, the US Navy said.

"Since 2021, Iran has harassed, attacked or seized nearly 20 internationally flagged merchant vessels, presenting a clear threat to regional maritime security and the global economy," the Navy statement added.

About a fifth of the world's supply of seaborne crude oil and oil products passes through the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint between Iran and Oman, according to data from analytics firm Vortexa.

Refinitiv ship-tracking data shows the Richmond Voyager previously docked in Ras Tannoura in eastern Saudi Arabia before Wednesday's incident in the Gulf of Oman.

The Richmond Voyager was now leaving the Gulf with Singapore listed as its destination, Refinitiv ship tracking showed.

Top ship registries including the Marshall Islands and Greece have warned in recent weeks of the threat to commercial shipping in the Gulf including the Strait of Hormuz.

In another point of tension, the U.S. confiscated a cargo of Iranian oil aboard a tanker in April in a sanctions enforcement operation, sources told Reuters.

That vessel, the Marshall Islands-flagged Suez Rajan, is anchored outside the U.S. Gulf of Mexico terminal of Galveston waiting to discharge its cargo, according to Refinitiv ship tracking.

 

CENTCOM commander visits US ballistic missile submarine in Arabian Sea

US CENTCOM Commander General Michael Kurilla visited the USS West Virginia nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine at an undisclosed location in international waters in the Arabian Sea on Wednesday, United States Central Command announced.

Kurilla was joined by Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, Commander of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet and NAVCENT. Kurilla received a hands-on demonstration of the capabilities of the vessel during the visit.

These submarines are the crown jewel of the nuclear triad, and the West Virginia demonstrates the flexibility, survivability, readiness and capability of USCENTCOM and USSTRATCOM forces at sea" said Kurilla.

The West Virginia is one of six ballistic-missile submarines stationed at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia. The submarine can carry up to 20 submarine-launched ballistic missiles with multiple warheads. The submarine is equipped with Trident D5 submarine-launched ballistic missiles, each of which can be armed with up to eight 475 kiloton W88 nuclear warheads which can each be aimed toward a separate target. 

Each W88 warhead has a yield about 23 times larger than the "Fat Man" nuclear bomb dropped on Nagasaki. A blast caused by such a weapon would likely destroy most structures within a 4.9- to 6-kilometer radius and cause 3rd degree burns to people within about 8 kilometers of the blast site, according to the MIT Nuclear Weapons Education Project.

The announcement by CENTCOM was marked as unusual by analysts, as the US does not usually reveal the location of its ballistic missile submarines.

The visit to the USS West Virginia comes amid concerns that Russia could use tactical nuclear weapons in its continuing invasion of Ukraine and as Iran continues to provide drones to Russia for it to use against Ukraine and plans to provide ballistic missiles as well.

NATO is also holding its annual nuclear deterrence exercise over north-western Europe which will continue until October 30.

The exercise involves 14 countries and up to 60 aircraft, including fighter jets and surveillance and tanker aircraft. The exercise, called "Steadfast Noon," is hosted by a different NATO ally each year.

The visit also comes as China continues to up its rhetoric against Taiwan and as attempts to return to the JCPOA nuclear deal with Iran remain stalled.

On Monday, Robert Malley, the US Special Representative for Iran, told CNN that attempts to revive the JCPOA nuclear deal are "not on the US agenda as they have been stalled for two months due to Iranian demands.

"Iran is making demands that have nothing to do with the JCPOA and as long as that's the case the talks will be stalled," said Malley, adding that the US continues to believe that diplomacy is the best way to stop Iran from attaining nuclear weapons.

US Department of Justice announces forfeiture of Iranian missiles and oil

The US Department of Justice (DoJ) confirmed in an announcement on Wednesday that it has successfully forfeited approximately 1.1 million barrels of oil and hundreds of missiles seized by the US Navy from several Iranian vessels in the Arabian Sea late in 2019 and early 2020. 

These represent the largest-ever US forfeitures of Iranian fuel and weapons. Forfeiture of property – penalizing the owner for wrongdoing – allows the US government to take possession of and sell it.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which is alleged to have orchestrated the shipments, is designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the DoJ, which allowed for the seizures and forfeitures. 

“The actions of the United States in these two cases strike a resounding blow to the Government of Iran and to the criminal networks supporting Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,” said Assistant Attorney-General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Department of Justice will continue to use all available tools to combat the threats posed by terrorist organizations and all those who seek to harm the United States and its allies.”

The two weapons caches of eight surface-to-air missiles, 171 anti-tank missiles and thermal optics – as well as components for naval surface-to-surface cruise missiles, anti-ship cruise missiles, drones, and other missiles – were alleged by the DoJ to have belonged to the IRGC and were destined for Houthi militants in Yemen. The two flagless vessels, dhow sailboats, were raided on November 25, 2019, and February 9, 2020.

The DOJ announcement contains contradictions about the number of different types of missiles seized, in the opening sentence of the press release listing 171 surface-to-air missiles and eight anti-tank missiles.

“The illegal transfer of Iranian-made weapons poses a significant and immediate threat to our national security,” according to Kelly P. Mayo, Director of the Defense Department's Defense Criminal Investigative Service. “The judgment announced today is an important step in our efforts to identify, disrupt and bring to justice those who imperil resources vital to our safety.”

Around July 2020, petroleum seizures of approximately 1.1 million barrels of petroleum products from four foreign-flagged vessels were also conducted in the vicinity of the Arabian Sea. The shipments were allegedly destined for Venezuela aboard the Liberia-flagged Bella, Bering, Pandi and Luna.

The US government sold the confiscated petroleum products for over US$26 million, with part of the sales being directed to the US Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund, which compensates the US citizens who have been victims of international terrorism.

“These two cases demonstrate that not only can we disrupt the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ ability to finance its operations through petroleum sales, but we can also thwart its ability to use the proceeds of such sales to arm its terrorist proxies and export terrorism abroad,” said US Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia.

“Given our expertise and special statutory authority, the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia is uniquely positioned to support its law enforcement partners in such terrorism cases," he said. "We are deeply committed to this mission.”

The surface-to-air missiles were Iranian-made Type 358, which according to Jane's were previously unknown until these seizures. According to court documents filed in August, all 171 anti-tank missiles were the Iranian-made Dehlaviehs. According to the Islamic Republic News Agency, they were indigenously produced and first introduced into service in the Iranian Army in 2015. The Ten Rayan Roshd Afzar RU60G thermal weapons optics is also Iranian-produced. 

The US has imposed sanctions on oil exports of both Iran and Venezuela. Tehran has made several attempts to transfer oil to the country in South America's northern region. US sanctions on Iran are a key element of the negotiations for the Iranian nuclear deal that the Biden administration is attempting to reimplement.

 

Is Iran really involved in smuggling of weapons?

Those aware of the modus operandi of US intelligence agencies know very well that they first create hype against a country or regime by releasing concocted stories with regular intervals and then based on these stories these countries are attacked. Three of the most recent victims are Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. 

Since 1979 Iran has remained under economic sanction, alleged for supporting rebel groups in Lebanon, Syria and Yemen. To further malign Iran, now stories of weapon confiscation by the US Navy.

According to a report from 2015 to May 2021, the United States and its allies have intercepted at least seven shipments of weapons allegedly originating from Iran and headed to Yemen. The vessels were either wooden boats or fishing vessels. Their cargoes varied in size and lethality. Some boats were carrying small arms, such as machine guns and AK-47 assault rifles. Others carried anti-tank and surface-to-air missiles or components for anti-ship and land attack cruise missiles.

The following is a rundown of seizures, beginning with the most recent:

2021

In May 2021, USS Monterey interdicted a dhow in the northern Arabian Sea with a large cache of weapons, including dozens of Russian anti-tank missiles, thousands of Chinese-made assault rifles, and hundreds of machine guns, sniper rifles and rocket-propelled grenades. The source and destination of the weapons were under investigation, the US Fifth Fleet based in Bahrain said in a statement. US naval and coast guard personnel removed the cargo from the dhow and questioned the crew before releasing them.

2020

On 28th June, US Navy and partner forces interdicted a boat off the coast of Yemen. The vessel was carrying 200 RPGs, more than 1,700 AK rifles, 21 surface-to-air and land-attack missiles, several anti-tank missiles, and other advanced weapons and missiles.

Earlier on 9th February, USS Normandy interdicted the Al Qanas, a dhow in the Arabian Sea manned by Yemeni nationals. The vessel was carrying 150 anti-tank missiles, three surface-to-air missiles, night vision scopes and drone components. US naval personnel interrogated the dhow’s crew before handing them over to the Yemeni Coast Guard.The Justice Department later connected the dhow to Qods Force. A UN panel of experts also concluded that the anti-tank missiles were most likely manufactured in the Islamic Republic of Iran. 

2019

On 25th November, USS Forrest Sherman interdicted the Al Raheeb, a dhow crewed by Yemeni nationals in the northern Arabia Sea. The boat was carrying 21 anti-tank missiles, five surface-to-air missiles, components for land-attack and anti-ship cruise missiles, thermal optical sights, blasting caps and drone components, according to a Justice Department filing. The missiles were “the most sophisticated weapons seized by the US Navy to date during the Yemen conflict,” U.S. Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook said on 25th December 2019. The Justice Department later connected the Al Raheeb to the Qods Force. A UN panel of experts concluded that the Al Raheeb carried Iranian made anti-tank missiles.

2016

On 28th March, USS Sirocco interdicted a dhow in the Arabian Sea headed for Yemen. The vessel was carrying 1,500 AK-47s, 200 RPG launchers and 21 .50 caliber machine guns, aid US Navy in a statement. The weapons were taken into US custody, while the crew was permitted to depart. The U.S. Navy said the weapons originated from Iran and were likely bound for Houthi insurgents in Yemen.

Earlier on 20th March, FS Provence, a French destroyer, interdicted a dhow in the northern Indian Ocean. The dhow was carrying several hundred AK47 assault rifles, machine guns and anti-tank weapons, according to the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), a US-led coalition of 34 nations that operates in the Rea Sea, Gulf of Aden and Gulf of Oman. The taskforce initially said that the weapons were destined for Somalia, but the US Navy later assessed that the weapons originated from Iran and were destined for Yemen.

On 28th February, HMAS Darwin, an Australian warship, interdicted an fishing vessel more than 170 miles off the coast of Oman. The crew searched the vessel and discovered 1,989 AK-47 assault rifles, 100 rocket propelled grenade launchers, 49 PKM general purpose machine guns, 39 PKM spare barrels and 20 60mm mortar tubes, the CMF reported. A CMF taskforce initially said that the fishing vessel was headed toward Somalia, but the US Navy later assessed that the weapons originated from Iran and destined for Yemen. 

2015

On 30th September, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen interdicted an Iranian fishing boat in the Arabian Sea about 150 miles off the coast of Oman. The vessel was carrying 18 anti-tank missiles, 54 anti-tank shells, 15 shell battery kits, four firing guidance systems and five binocular batteries destined to the Houthi militias in Yemen, the coalition reported.