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On Thursday, Iran captured two international oil tankers in the Persian Gulf, alleging fuel smuggling and detaining 15 foreign crew members. This incident unfolded just before crucial U.S.–Iran negotiations scheduled for Friday in Oman.
The naval forces of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) intercepted the vessels close to Farsi Island, asserting that the ships carried roughly 1 million liters of illicit fuel, as reported by Reuters.
After the seizure, the 15 foreign crew members were detained and handed over to Iran’s judicial system, according to reports from Iranian state media.
Simultaneously, former Iranian Minister Ezzatollah Zarghami issued a warning, suggesting that the Strait of Hormuz could become a perilous zone for U.S. forces, describing it as a potential “massacre and hell.”
The IRGC accused the seized tankers of being involved in an extensive fuel-smuggling operation that had been active in the area for several months.
Iranian officials said the ships were identified through intelligence monitoring and seized during coordinated naval operations in the Persian Gulf, a vital artery for global energy markets.
According to The Jerusalem Post, Iranian authorities framed the operation as a significant blow to illegal fuel trafficking, though they did not immediately disclose the vessels’ nationalities or destinations.
Iran seized two foreign oil tankers in the Persian Gulf Thursday allegedly carrying 1 million liters of smuggled fuel. (Giuseppe Cacace/AFP via Getty Images)
The seizures come as Iranian rhetoric toward the U.S. has grown hostile.
Ezzatollah Zarghami, a former Iranian minister and ex–state broadcaster chief, issued a warning, threatening violence in the Strait of Hormuz, through which around one-fifth of the world’s oil and petroleum product consumption passes.
“I am sure that the Strait of Hormuz will be the place of massacre and hell for the U.S.,” Zarghami said Thursday.
“Iran will show that the Strait of Hormuz has historically belonged to Iran. The only thing the Americans can think of is playing with their vessels and moving them from one place to another.”
Steve Witkoff, U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, and Jared Kushner are scheduled to meet Iranian officials in Oman Friday. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Zarghami later repeated the threat, calling the Strait a potential “killing field” for American forces and signaling Iran’s willingness to escalate amid mounting regional pressure.
Special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are scheduled to meet Iranian officials in Oman Friday.
The pair are traveling from Abu Dhabi after two days of talks related to Russia and Ukraine.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Thursday that Friday’s talks were still on, stating “diplomacy is always [Trump’s] first option.”