Iranian authorities have detained a foreign-flagged tanker in the Gulf, accusing it of carrying more than two million liters of smuggled fuel. The vessel, named Phoenix, was intercepted in Iranian territorial waters by border police in Hormozgan province, local media reported on Monday.
Officials confirmed the arrest of 17 foreign crew members but did not disclose the ship’s country of registration.
Fuel smuggling remains a persistent problem in Iran, where government subsidies keep fuel prices among the lowest globally. The country frequently reports the capture of vessels engaged in illegal fuel transport.
In a similar case last month, Iranian forces seized another foreign tanker in the Sea of Oman, which was also reportedly carrying two million liters of smuggled fuel.
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