Iran claims it blocks U.S. attempt to confiscate oil in Sea of Oman

Iran claims that it has foiled the U.S. naval assets (Arleigh Burke-class) to take a tanker carrying Iranian oil in the Gulf of Oman, according to a statement from the country’s elite forces.

“With the prompt and authoritative action of the Guards naval forces, the US terrorist Navy’s plan to steal Iranian oil in the Sea of Oman failed,” Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said in a statement released by Iranian state media on Wednesday.

“On October 25, the vessel carrying Iran’s oil docked at Bandar Abbas,” it stated.

On the condition of anonymity, U.S. sources told Reuters that the Iranian story was false and that there had been no attempt by the U.S. to take a vessel.

According to U.S. authorities, Iranian forces seized a Vietnamese-flagged oil ship last month, while US naval personnel were only watching the situation.

The move comes amid stalled efforts to resurrect Iran’s nuclear deal with international powers, which would result in the easing of U.S. sanctions on its oil exports. More nuclear discussions are scheduled later this month.

Iran has regularly warned the U.S. about its military activity in the Gulf, claiming that the Guards’ naval units have expanded patrols to ensure the passage of Iranian ships and prevent petroleum smuggling.

According to Press TV, when the Iranian oil tanker was stopped in the Sea of Oman, the Guards reacted “promptly.”

“Members of the Guards naval forces carried out a heliborne operation on the detained tanker’s deck, gaining control of the vessel and directing it back toward Iran’s territorial seas,” Press TV stated.

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