US Navy Intervenes When Iranian Vessel Tries To Seize Tankers

On Wednesday, the United States Navy intervened when Iranian vessels fired multiple shots at one of two commercial tankers that they were attempting to seize.

At 1:00 a.m. local time off the coast of Oman on Wednesday, an Iranian ship bore down on Marshall Islands-flagged commercial tanker TRF Moss. The ship fled the scene after the guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul arrived. 

The USS McFaul received another distress call three hours later — this time from the Bahamian-flagged oil tanker Richmond Voyager, which was in the same area and being attacked by another Iranian naval vessel. In this case, the Iranian ship was firing “multiple, long bursts” at the Richmond Voyager “from both small arms and crew-served weapons,” according to a statement released by the U.S. Fifth Fleet.

The statement went on to note that the USS McFaul traveled at “maximum speed” to come to the aid of the Richmond Voyager, arriving as the Iranian ship came within one mile of its target.

“Richmond Voyager sustained no casualties or significant damage. However, several rounds hit the ship’s hull near crew living spaces. The Iranian navy vessel departed when McFaul arrived,” the statement read, noting that both incidents occurred in international waters off the coast of Oman.

Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, who serves as commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and U.S. Fifth Fleet, spoke out about the incident — noting that he “couldn’t be prouder of the entire” U.S. Naval Forces Central Command team and the “exceptional effort by the McFaul crew” for their immediate response to the incidents and for “preventing another seizure.”

“We remain vigilant and ready to protect navigational rights in these critical waters,” he added.

According to a report from Reuters, the Richmond Voyager is controlled by U.S. oil giant Chevron, who responded to the incident with confirmation that the tanker had behaved according to procedure — noting that the ship’s crew had survived the incident without danger.

The U.S. Fifth Fleet also noted in their statement that the USS McFaul received assistance in the operation from surveillance drones, including the MQ-9 Reaper and P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft.

“Since 2021, Iran has harassed, attacked or seized nearly 20 internationally flagged merchant vessels, presenting a clear threat to regional maritime security and the global economy,” the U.S. Fifth Fleet wrote.

Initial reports stated that Iran has refused to acknowledge the incident. However, the terrorist-supporting nation has since asserted that they had a court order to seize the Richmond Voyager — claiming that the oil tanker had collided with an Iranian vessel earlier and injured five people.

“The Maritime Search and Rescue Center of Iran’s Hormozgan Province told the country’s state-run news agency the Iranian navy had an order to seize the Bahamian-flagged Richmond Voyager oil tanker,” according to a report from The Hill.