An oil tanker seized by Iran’s Navy in the Gulf of Oman last year is now moving back into international waters, Reuters reports, citing data from LSEG.
Earlier this year, Iran unloaded the tanker’s cargo. The oil, valued at around $50 million, will be sold, with proceeds used to import medicines for a severe and rare skin disease. This decision followed a lawsuit filed by patients with the disease against the U.S. government in an Iranian court. The lawsuit claimed U.S. sanctions prevented them from receiving treatment. The court ruled yesterday that the U.S. government must pay $6.8 billion in compensation to the patients suffering from epidermolysis bullosa.
The Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker, Advantage Sweet, was seized by Iran’s Navy in May 2023 while navigating international waters in the Gulf of Oman. The tanker had departed from Mina Saud Port in Kuwait, heading to Houston, Texas, under the commission of U.S. oil giant Chevron. The tanker is Turkish-owned and operated.
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The U.S. Navy demanded the vessel’s release, asserting it had been seized in international waters, midway between Iran and the Omani coast. The Iranian Navy responded by stating it was taking the Suezmax crude oil tanker back to Iran for investigation.
Earlier this year, Iranian media reported that the government planned to unload the crude oil from the tanker. This move was a response to the U.S. unloading the cargo of an Iran-affiliated tanker it had seized in 2023, prompting Iran to seize the Advantage Sweet.
Reuters noted that the U.S. State Department welcomed reports of the Advantage Sweet’s movement back into international waters.