Iran seizes oil tanker off Oman in dispute with US

Iran's navy seized a ship off Oman to retaliate for the "theft" of its oil from the same tanker last year by the United States, state media said Thursday.

The United States condemned what it called an "unlawful seizure" and demanded Iran "immediately release the ship and its crew".

The announcement came hours after a British navy maritime security agency said armed men boarded the Greek-owned, Marshall Islands-flagged St Nikolas off Oman and changed course towards Bandar-e Jask in Iran.

Four or five "unauthorised boarders are reported to be wearing military-style black uniforms with black masks", the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.

Iran's navy later confirmed it seized the ship, which was previously called Suez Rajan.

"The Navy of the Islamic Republic of Iran seized an American oil tanker in the waters of the Gulf of Oman in accordance with a court order," the official IRNA news agency said.

The seizure was in retaliation for "violation committed by the Suez Rajan ship... and the theft of Iranian oil by the United States", IRNA said.

Iran has responded with tit-for-tat measures in the past after seizures of Iranian oil shipments.

Crippling U.S. sanctions, reimposed following Washington's 2018 withdrawal from a landmark nuclear deal, target Iranian oil and petrochemical sales in a bid to reduce Iran's energy exports.

"The Iranian government must immediately release the ship and its crew," U.S. State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters.

"This unlawful seizure of a commercial vessel is just the latest behaviour by Iran or enabled by Iran aimed at disrupting international commerce."

 Communications lost 

Ambrey, a British maritime...