Gulf of Oman

Iran's Revolutionary Guards seized an Israeli-linked cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, days after Tehran said it could close the crucial shipping route and warned it would retaliate for an Israeli strike on its Syria consulate.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard Navy seized the MSC ARIES container ship, reportedly linked to Israel, near the Strait of Hormuz. The vessel, registered under the Portuguese flag and owned by Zodiac Maritime, was last spotted heading towards the Strait of Hormuz. Tensions escalated amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, with US President Biden anticipating an Iranian attack on Israel soon.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Saturday seized a container ship "related to the Zionist regime (Israel) in the Gulf," state media reported, as tensions soar in the region.

"A container ship named 'MCS Aries' was seized by the Sepah (Guards) Navy Special Forces by carrying out a heliborne operation," IRNA state news agency reported.

The Greek Foreign Ministry is making high-level contacts to secure the release of the Greek cadet captain who was one of 19 crew members aboard the Greek-owned tanker St Nikolas when it was seized by an Iranian army unit in the Red Sea last week.

According to reports, the Greek ambassador issued an official appeal to Tehran for the cadet captain's quick release.

Iran's navy seized a ship off Oman to retaliate for the "theft" of its oil from the same tanker last year by the United States, state media said Thursday.

The United States condemned what it called an "unlawful seizure" and demanded Iran "immediately release the ship and its crew".

Empire Navigation Inc, the Greek shipowner of an oil tanker seized by Iran, said it sought any help from the US government in regaining control of its vessel in a US court filing on Thursday.

Iran has summoned Russia's envoy to protest a recent statement by Moscow and Arab countries calling for talks over three islands controlled by Tehran but claimed by the United Arab Emirates.

Western-backed maritime forces in the Middle East have warned shippers traveling through the strategic Strait of Hormuz to stay as far away from Iranian territorial waters as possible to avoid being seized, a stark advisory amid heightened tensions between Iran and the U.S.

Iran said on Thursday it had a court order to seize a tanker in Gulf waters a day earlier after it collided with an Iranian vessel, one of two tankers the US Navy said it prevented Iran from commandeering.

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 seizures or attacks on ships in the area since 2019.

Chevron said one incident involved the Richmond Voyager, a very large crude carrier managed by the US oil major, and that crew onboard were safe.