Heavily-Armed Iranian Gunboats Attempt To Seize US Tanker

Iranian gunboats attempted to seize a U.S.-flagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday amid escalating tensions between Tehran and Washington.

The tanker, identified as the Stena Imperative, was transiting international waters around the Strait of Hormuz when it was approached by armed vessels linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced. The heavily-armed gunboats threatened to board and seize the ship, but the tanker maintained its course and is now under escort by the guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul and defensive air support from the U.S. Air Force.

“CENTCOM forces are operating at the highest levels of professionalism and ensuring the safety of U.S. personnel, ships, and aircraft in the Middle East,” said CENTCOM spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins. “Continued Iranian harassment and threats in international waters and airspace will not be tolerated. Iran’s unnecessary aggression near U.S. forces, regional partners and commercial vessels increases risks of collision, miscalculation, and regional destabilization.”

The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which is affiliated with the British Royal Navy, also reported the encounter earlier Tuesday. UKMTO said the vessel had been hailed by multiple small armed boats. Authorities are investigating the incident, according to the statement, while warning ships transiting the area to exercise caution and report suspicious activity.

Iran’s state-linked Fars News Agency later claimed the tanker had entered Iranian territorial waters without authorization and was intercepted as a result, according to CBS News.

The confrontation comes as the Trump administration weighs potential military action against the Iranian regime following its violent crackdown on protests earlier this year. President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned that the U.S. could launch strikes if Tehran refuses to negotiate a new nuclear agreement or executes protesters.

The U.S. has also been deploying additional aircraft and naval assets to the region, citing the need to promote “regional security and stability.” The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group arrived in the area in late January, along with F-35 fighter jets and missile defense systems.

The president on January 28 warned that the “massive Armada” is “ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfill its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary.”

While regional leaders are pushing for a diplomatic solution, Iranian officials have reportedly threatened to pull out of scheduled talks with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, set for Friday in Turkey, people familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also warned Sunday that any U.S. military action against the country would result in a wider “regional war.”