IRGC Seizes Ocean Koi in Gulf of Oman Operation
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it captured the ocean koi in a special operation in the Gulf of Oman, taking the Barbados-flagged tanker after accusing it of trying to disrupt oil exports and the interests of the Iranian nation. State TV showed IRGC forces boarding and detaining the vessel.
Ocean Koi and the Gulf route
The tanker was directed to the southern coast of the country, according to an Iranian army spokesperson. Iran’s army said it would “powerfully defend the interests and assets of the Iranian nation in the territorial waters of our country and will not tolerate any violators or aggressors.”
Marine Tracker lists the vessel as registered in Barbados. The seizure lands in a waterway tied to the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil normally passes.
Strait of Hormuz rules
Resul Serder said Tehran is putting in place a “new maritime regime” with “new rules, new regulations and new protocols.” He said any ships trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz in or out need full coordination and clearance from Iranian forces, and that without their approval, no ships are allowed in and out.
Ships intending to pass through will have to send an email to Iranian authorities detailing their country of origin, cargo and final destination, after which Iran will assess the request and ask for toll fees. Some 20,000 seafarers are stranded in the Gulf amid the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
IRGC and the wider pressure
This was not the first seizure by the IRGC in the Strait of Hormuz; there have been three confirmed cases before this one. Alex Alfirraz Scheers said Iran is “exerting its ability and it’s authority within the Strait” and “it’s trying to project power, which it can now do, which it couldn’t do prior.”
He also described the area as “inhospitable and dangerous,” adding that Tehran is building “strategic clout” and “political clout” through its control of the Strait, and that the IRGC is showing what it would do to tip the balance of things in their favour.
For shipping companies and crews already caught in the Gulf, the immediate issue is the same one now hanging over ocean koi: whether passage can be arranged under the new Iranian clearance system, or whether vessels will be held back by force.
