Iran Seizes Oil Tanker in Gulf of Oman, U.S. Navy Says
The U.S. Navy said Thursday that Iran had seized a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker Advantage Sweet while transiting international waters in the Gulf of Oman. According to a tweet by U.S. 5th Fleet, the incident happened on April 27 at approximately 1:15 p.m. local time, when the tanker was seized by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN). "The oil tanker issued a distress call during the seizure. U.S. 5th Fleet is monitoring the situation. Iran's actions are contrary to international law and disruptive to regional security and stability.
Update: Israel Blames Iran for Tanker Attack that Killed Two
A Briton and a Romanian were killed when an Israeli-managed petroleum product tanker came under attack on Thursday off the coast of Oman, the company said on Friday, in an incident that Israel's foreign minister blamed on Iran and said deserved a harsh response.There were varying explanations for what happened to the Mercer Street, a Liberian-flagged, Japanese-owned ship, with Israeli-owned Zodiac Maritime describing the incident as "suspected piracy" and a source at the Oman…
As Iran Eyes Return to Oil Trading, Storage at Sea Rises
Iran could quickly export millions of barrels of oil it is holding in storage if it reaches a deal with the United States on its nuclear program and has been moving oil into place to prepare for an eventual restart, four traders and industrial sources said.The U.S. and Iran began in mid-June their sixth round of indirect talks on reviving a 2015 nuclear deal that former U.S. President Donald Trump pulled out of in 2018. Trump reimposed sanctions on Iran’s energy sector, leading…
Iran Accuses U.S. of Piracy Over Oil Cargo Seizure
Iran said on Monday that a U.S. move this month to seize a cargo of oil on the grounds that it came from Tehran was an act of piracy, adding that the shipment did not belong to the Iranian government.Washington filed a lawsuit earlier this month to seize the cargo, alleging that Iran sought to mask the origin of the oil by transferring it to several vessels before it ended up aboard the Liberian-flagged Achilleas tanker destined for China.Washington said the cargo contravened U.S. terrorism regulations."This shipment does not belong to the Iranian government. It belongs to the private sector," Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh…
Iran Denies Seized Korean Ship and Crew Are Being Held as Hostages
Iran denied on Tuesday it was using a South Korean ship and its crew as hostages, a day after it seized the tanker in the Gulf while pressing a demand for Seoul to release $7 billion in funds frozen under U.S. sanctions.The seizure of the MT Hankuk Chemi and its 20-member crew near the strategic Strait of Hormuz has been seen as an attempt by Tehran to assert its demands, just two weeks before President-elect Joe Biden takes office in the United States.Iran wants Biden to lift sanctions imposed by outgoing President Donald Trump. Tehran's critics have long accused it of capturing ships and foreign prisoners as a method of gaining leverage in negotiations."We've become used to such allegations," Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei told a news conference.
Third Iranian Fuel Cargo Approaches Venezuela
The third cargo of an Iranian tanker flotilla carrying fuel for gasoline-thirsty Venezuela on Tuesday reached the nation's exclusive economic zone as the previous two were discharging at state run PDVSA's ports, according to Refinitiv Eikon data.The Iran-flagged tanker Petunia crossed the Caribbean Sea earlier on Tuesday, following the route taken in recent days by vessels Fortune and Forest.The Fortune was welcomed on Monday at PDVSA's El Palito refinery by Venezuela's oil minister, Tareck El Aissami, who thanked Iran for its support during the crisis, which has forced Venezuelans to wait in long lines for gasoline.The deal has been criticized by the United States as both OPEC-member nations are under sanctions. A U.S.
Iran Warns US Against Any Move on Fuel Shipment to Venezuela
An Iranian news agency close to the elite Revolutionary Guards said on Saturday there would be repercussions if the United States acted “just like pirates” against an Iranian fuel shipment to Venezuela.A senior official in President Donald Trump’s administration told Reuters on Thursday the United States was considering measures it could take in response to Iran’s shipment of fuel to crisis-stricken Venezuela.The oil sectors of Iran and Venezuela, members of OPEC, are both under U.S. sanctions. The Trump administration official declined to specify the measures being weighed but said options would be presented to Trump.“If the United States…
British Tanker Stena Impero Free to Leave - Iran ambassador
The detained British-flagged tanker Stena Impero is "free to leave," Iran's ambassador to the United Kingdom, Hamid Baeidinejad, said on Twitter on Monday."The British-flagged tanker 'Stena Impero', pursuant to the completion of the judicial and legal process, is now free to leave," he wrote.The seizure on July 19 of the ship, two weeks after Britain detained an Iranian tanker off Gibraltar, ratcheted up tensions in the region in the wake of attacks on other merchant vessels that Washington blamed on Tehran.Iran denied responsibility for those attacks, which took place along a vital international oil shipping route.An Iranian government…
Turkey: Iranian Tanker Headed to Lebanon
Turkey said on Friday that an Iranian tanker at the centre of a confrontation between Washington and Tehran was headed to Lebanon after changing course several times, although Beirut said it was not informed of the plan.According to Refinitiv tracking data, the Adrian Darya, formerly called Grace 1, made a U-turn on Friday and headed for Turkey's Iskenderun port - 200 km (124 miles) north of Syria's Baniyas refinery, the tanker's suspected original destination.However, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the tanker, which was carrying 2 million barrels of oil when released at Gibraltar, was headed to "the main port in Lebanon."On the sidelines of a forum in Oslo…
Iranian Tanker Deviates from Turkish Destination
Iranian tanker Adrian Darya, at the centre of a dispute between Washington and Tehran, has changed course away from the Turkish coast, Refinitiv ship tracking data showed on Thursday.The tanker, formerly called Grace 1, was released from detention off Gibraltar in mid-August after a five-week standoff over whether it was carrying Iranian oil to Syria in violation of European Union sanctions.A Turkish official told Reuters earlier on Thursday that the Iranian tanker had not entered Turkish waters. The tracking data showed the ship was currently between the coasts of Turkey and Cyprus, heading west.On Monday, IRIB news agency quoted an…
Iran: Oil Sold from Tanker Released by Gibraltar
Iran has sold the oil from a tanker released by Gibraltar after weeks in the custody of British Royal Marines and the vessel's owner will decide on its next destination, IRIB news agency quoted an Iranian government spokesman as saying on Monday.Separately, Tehran - embroiled in a spiralling confrontation with Washington over U.S. sanctions meant to strangle Iranian oil exports - announced that it had deployed a naval destroyer with cruise missiles to help secure Iranian ships.The Iranian government spokesman did not identify the recipient of the oil carried by the Adrian Darya tanker. After Gibraltar freed the vessel on Aug. 18, the United States said it would take every action it could to prevent it delivering oil to Syria in contravention of U.S.
INSIGHTS: Noose Tightens Around Iranian Shipping
Somewhere on its journey from the waters off Iran, around Africa's southern tip and into the Mediterranean, the Grace 1 oil tanker lost the flag under which it sailed and ceased to be registered to Panama. Iran later claimed it as its own.The ship carrying 2 million barrels of Iranian crude was seized by British Royal Marines off Gibraltar, raising tensions in the Gulf where Iran detained a UK-flagged ship in retaliation.Grace 1 remains impounded, not because of its flag but because it was suspected of taking oil to Syria in breach of EU sanctions, an allegation that Iran denies.Yet Panama's move on May 29 to strike it from its register…
Stena Bulk Asks to Visit Crew of Seized Tanker
The British operator of the tanker seized by Tehran, Stena Bulk, made a request on Sunday, July 21st, to visit the 23 crew members of the seized tanker Stena Impero, and is expecting a response from the Iranian government.A statement from the tanker operator quoted President and Chief Executive of Stena Bulk, Erik Hanell, as saying: “I can confirm a formal request for permission to visit the 23 crew members of the Stena Impero has been made to the authorities at the Port of Bandar Abbas.“The request has been acknowledged, but we await a formal response. In the meantime, we will continue to co-operate and liaise with all appropriate authorities.Hanell…
Analysis: Strait of Hormuz and the Risk of Escalation
The Strait of Hormuz, the narrow shipping lane between Iran and Oman named after the fabulously wealthy ancient kingdom of Ormus, has fascinated oil traders since the Iranian revolution in 1979. Iran has periodically threatened to close the strait to enemy shipping, while the United States and its allies have pledged to keep it open and maintain freedom of navigation, by force if necessary.The strait has become a symbolic flashpoint in the region-wide confrontation and indirect…
Bodies of Three Sanchi Crew Members Identified
The bodies of three of the crew of the Sanchi, the tanker involved in the worst oil ship disaster in decades off the coast of China, have been identified, the Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA) reported Saturday. The three crew members identified are Milad Aravi, Majid Naqian and Mohammad Kavousi, the agency reported. The semi-official Fars news agency said that the three were Iranian. The Iranian government is trying to get the bodies of the three crew members back to Iran, according to ISNA.
China Oil Spill Compensation Claims Face Iran Payment Snags
The reluctance of foreign banks to deal with Iran could complicate any compensation payments resulting from the collision last week of an Iranian oil tanker and a Chinese cargo ship, sources say. The tanker Sanchi, carrying 136,000 tonnes of highly flammable condensate oil, collided with the Chinese dry cargo vessel CF Crystal on Saturday in the East China Sea, causing an oil spill and a blaze that is still raging four days later. Liability has yet to be established but lawyers…
Hyundai Near Deal With Iran for 10 Ships
Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. (HHI), a major shipyard in South Korea, looks set to clinch a deal with Iran to supply 10 ships, says a report in Yonhap. The contract, valued at USD650 million, will see Hyundai supply the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines, (IRISL) with four 14,400 TEU container ships and six 50,000 DWT product tankers, the Korea Herald reported. The vessels are expected to be delivered to Iran in the third quarter of 2018. If signed, the contract will be Iran's first deal with a foreign shipbuilder since the lifting of international sanctions on the Middle Eastern nation. Iran is seeking a series of ship-related contracts via the IRISL to handle increasing trade cargo. Yonhap reported that Hyundai officials were cautious about the matter.
Iran Strikes $2.4bn Ship Order with Korea
Iran has placed orders worth around $2.4 billion with South Korean shipyards for the construction of ships to carry Iran’s oil and petrochemical products, The Wall Street Journal says. The orders have been placed by the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) and the oil producer Iranian Offshore Oil Company (IOOC). The Korean companies involved in the case are Hyundai Mipo Dockyard, which is a subsidiary of shipbuilding giant Hyundai Heavy Industries Group, as well as Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Company. It has signed a memorandum of understanding with Hyundai Mipo Dockyard, a subsidiary of shipbuilding company Hyundai Heavy Industries Group, for as many as 10 petroleum-product tankers and at least six so-called handysize bulk carriers.
DSME to Manage Iranian Shipbuilder
Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. (DSME) has signed a business agreement with the Iranian government on operation and technology instruction for Iranian state-run shipbuilder Iran Shipbuilding & Offshore Industries Complex Co. (ISOICO), reports the Pulse. Under the agreement, the South Korea’s shipbuilder will transfer technology and conduct consignment management on the Iranian shipbuilder. The deal is expected to help DSME and other domestic shipbuilders win orders from refiners and other companies in Iran. ISOICO is currently capable of constructing up to four 80,000-dwt vessels per year and is able to build bulk carriers, containerships and product tankers, but has ambitions to build larger and more sophisticated vessels.
India Seeks Stake in Iran LNG Terminal
Indian Petroleum Minister Minister Dharmendra Pradhan says India has expressed interest in setting up an LNG terminal at Chahabar port in Iran to ship back home natural gas from Persian Gulf nation, reports PTI. India is ready to invest $20 billion in the development of Iran’s Chabahar port and has requested it to allocate adequate land in the Chabahar Special Economic Zone (SEZ), state-run Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) said in a statement. "Dharmendra Pradhan conveyed to the Iranian side that Indian companies could invest upto $20 billion and were interested in setting up petrochemical and fertiliser plants, including in the Chabahar SEZ, either through joint venture between Indian and Iranian public sector companies or with private sector partners," the statement said.
Iranian Ships to Make Trips to Europe, Americas
Iran all set launch a shipping line to Europe, North and South American countries, as sanctions against Iran’s shipping industry has been recently lifted. The Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) has resumed its routes to various destinations across Europe, says IRISL managing director Mohammad Saeedi. According to Tehran Times, Iran’s shipping lines to Europe had been cut for seven years under the western-led sanctions against the country, but shipping lines to Homburg in Germany, Antwerp in Belgium, and Genoa in Italy are now re-connected thanks to the removal of sanctions, he said. He also said the country plans to launch a shipping line to South American countries, as sanctions against the shipping industry have been lifted.
Iran Struggles to Find Enough Ships for Oil Exports
Iran faces a struggle to increase oil exports because many of its tankers are tied up storing crude, some are not seaworthy, and foreign shipowners remain reluctant to carry its cargoes. Tehran is seeking to make up for lost trade to Europe following the lifting of EU sanctions imposed in 2011 and 2012, which deprived it of a market that accounted for over a third of its exports and left it relying completely on Asian buyers. Iran has 55-60 oil tankers in its fleet, a senior Iranian government official told Reuters.
Europort to Partner IRANIMEX
Europort has become the official and exclusive international partner of IRANIMEX, the leading maritime & offshore exhibition in Iran. The agreement brings together the brand behind the maritime and offshore industry’s most vibrant conference and exhibition, Europort, and the gateway event covering unprecedented industry opportunities in Iran. From 2016, the new partners will combine the blueprint established for previous IRANIMEX events and the international expertise that the Europort name conveys, under the brand ‘IRANIMEX powered by Europort’. The 18th IRANIMEX exhibition, powered by Europort will be held from 18 – 21 October 2016 on the island of Kish.
