Shipmanager: Crewmembers Aboard Tanker Seized by Iran are Safe

November 18 ------ The 21-member crew of the seized tanker Talara are safe after their capture by Iranian forces, according to third-party manager Columbia Shipmanagement. "All crew members are reported to be safe and accounted for. The vessel is now safely anchored off the coast of Bandar Abbas," the company said in a statement. "Columbia Shipmanagement is working with regional partners to urgently resolve the situation and secure the release of our crew."

Talara was seized on Friday by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) at a position off the UAE in the Gulf of Oman. According to U.S. Central Command, Iranian forces arrived aboard the vessel by helicopter. After boarding, IRGC personnel diverted the ship eastward into Iranian waters. From there, the vessel navigated to the anchorage just south of Bandar Abbas, a typical destination for foreign-flag ships captured by Iran.

The IRGC has claimed responsibility for the capture of the vessel, and asserted that it was carrying 30,000 tons of petroleum products that were being transported "illegally" to Singapore. It was diverted to the anchorage "for investigation into violations," the group said, where it was found "to be in breach for transporting unauthorized goods." "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," said U.S. Central Command in a statement. "We call on Iran to articulate to the international community the legal basis for its actions."

Talara is a 73,000-dwt crude oil tanker built in 2010, flagged in the Marshall Islands and managed in Cyprus. Iran's foreign-flag ship seizures typically coincide with its geopolitical concerns, and legal rationale aside, the actions are often perceived as a means to apply pressure or send a signal to Tehran's opponents.

Source: maritime-executive.com