Iranian forces seized the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker M/V Talara in the Strait of Hormuz on November 15, 2025, prompting U.S. Central Command to condemn the armed boarding as a “blatant violation of international law” that undermines freedom of navigation. The incident marks the first Iranian tanker seizure in over a year and escalates regional tensions following the June Israel-Iran war.
According to U.S. Central Command, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) personnel arrived by helicopter and boarded the vessel at approximately 7:30 a.m., redirecting it toward Iranian territorial waters off Qeshm Island. The tanker, managed by Cyprus-based Columbia Shipmanagement, was carrying approximately 30,000 tons of high-sulfur gasoil from the United Arab Emirates en route to Singapore when intercepted about 20 nautical miles off the Emirati coast.
The IRGC defended the seizure, claiming it was executed under a judicial order to prevent the “illegal removal of Iran’s national assets.” The force alleged the vessel was smuggling Iranian petrochemical products using falsified documents. Iran’s Foreign Ministry stated Tehran had been investigating the case in cooperation with judicial authorities for some time.
U.S. Central Command responded forcefully: “Iran’s use of military forces to conduct an armed boarding and seizure of a commercial vessel in international waters constitutes a blatant violation of international law, undermining freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce”. The command demanded Iran articulate its legal justification.
The incident occurred as a U.S. Navy MQ-4C Triton drone circled overhead for hours, monitoring but not intervening. The U.S. and UK have increased maritime surveillance in the region, which handles 20% of global oil trade.
This marks the first such interdiction in over a year, coming amid heightened tensions after a 12-day Israel-Iran war in June. The seizure raises concerns about Iranian retaliation for Western sanctions and the fragile security of global energy supplies through the vital chokepoint.
