The Iranian authorities announced on Saturday (December 13, 2025) the seizure of a foreign oil tanker, without specifying its nationality, that was transporting about six million liters of diesel in the Sea of Oman with 18 people on board. Iranian media reported that the crew was arrested on charges of fuel smuggling.
The head of the Hormozgan Province Judiciary, Mojtaba Ghahramani, said that, according to Mehr Agency, the ship was intercepted in Iranian territorial waters near the port city of Jask as part of an operation against fuel smuggling networks.
According to Ghahramani, the tanker, whose crew is of Indian, Sri Lankan and Bangladeshi nationality, was “traveling without valid maritime documents or cargo manifests and had deliberately switched off all navigation systems and auxiliary equipment.” Iranian authorities did not provide any information about the nationality of the ship or the destination of the cargo.
Gasoline price increase
Iran, an oil-rich country, regularly reports the hijacking of foreign ships in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, the last just a month ago, for transporting smuggled fuel, a recurring problem that authorities are trying to combat given the prevalence of this illegal business that exploits subsidies and the devaluation of the local currency. This latest capture also comes in a tense geopolitical context, two days after the United States seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela.
Starting today, Iran is increasing fuel prices for the first time since the protests in 2019. However, it remains the cheapest gasoline price in the world: the first 60 liters can still be purchased at the current price of the equivalent of 1.25 US cents per liter; the next 100 liters at 2.5 cents per liter, from this quantity onwards at 4 cents per liter. This final section is presented today.
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