International Iran's Revolutionary Guards detain two oil tankers
According to Tehran, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Navy has detained two oil tankers in the Persian Gulf. The ships were on their way to the port city of Bushehr by order of the judiciary, the state news agency Irna reported. It initially remained unclear under which flag the two oil tankers were sailing.
31.03.2025, 20:26
SDA
In recent months, Iran's leading naval commanders had threatened to block the important sea route in the Persian Gulf at any time in the wake of military tensions. Tehran justified the detention of the tankers with fuel smuggling. More than three million liters are said to have been unloaded in Bushehr.
Tensions between Washington and Tehran
The USA accuses the Iranian navy of obstructing civilian shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman. In the past, there have been repeated incidents involving oil tankers. The Strait of Hormuz in particular, a strait around 55 kilometers wide between Iran and Oman, is considered one of the most important shipping routes for global oil exports.
In recent days, tensions between Iran and the USA have intensified once again. US President Donald Trump threatened to bomb Tehran if the government did not agree to a new nuclear deal. Trump had previously sent a letter to the Iranian leadership to get the nuclear talks back on track. Tehran continues to reject direct negotiations, but is now open to talks via mediators.
During his first term in office, Trump unilaterally withdrew from the Vienna nuclear agreement in 2018, which was intended to limit Iran's nuclear program and lift sanctions in return. After that, Tehran no longer complied with the conditions of the agreement. Israel's government repeatedly threatened to attack Iranian nuclear facilities out of concern that the Islamic Republic could seek nuclear weapons.
