Iran says it seized Barbados-flagged tanker Ocean Koi in Gulf of Oman
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says it has seized the Barbados-flagged oil tanker Ocean Koi in the Gulf of Oman.
State television showed video of forces boarding and detaining the vessel.
The IRGC said the ship was taken in a "special operation" after it was accused of trying to disrupt Iranian oil exports and the interests of the Iranian nation.
A statement carried by the Fars news agency said the tanker was directed towards Iran's southern coast.
Iranian state media said the army would "powerfully defend" the country's interests and assets in its territorial waters.
The reported seizure adds to tensions in a waterway that links the Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and is strategically important for global shipping.
The incident matters because it involves a state force detaining a commercial tanker in a sensitive maritime corridor.
It also comes as Iran signals a tougher approach to passage through the Strait of Hormuz, which is connected to the Gulf of Oman.
According to the report, Iran is introducing what it described as a new maritime regime, including a body called the Persian Gulf Strait Authority.
