Iran seizes ship with Filipino crew for alleged fuel smuggling in Gulf
Iran’s coast guard has seized a foreign tugboat suspected of smuggling fuel in the Gulf and detained its 12 Filipino crew members, Reuters reported.
The news agency cited local TV saying the tugboat was carrying nearly 284,000 liters of diesel. The report did not say what national flag the vessel was flying.
Iran, which has some of the world’s cheapest fuel due to heavy state subsidies, has been fighting rampant fuel smuggling overland to neighboring countries and by sea to Gulf Arab states. It has frequently seized boats it says are being used for smuggling fuel in the Gulf.
It reminds the incidents come at a time of tensions between Iran and the West in the Gulf that have been rising since the United States exited world powers’ 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran last year and reimposed sanctions.