The ship was reported to be carrying nearly 1.3 million litres of fuel. It was not known under which national flag the ship was sailing. It was reportedly seized near Abu Musa Island, near the entrance to the Straits of Hormuz.

Iran has frequently seized boats that it says are being used for smuggling fuel in the Gulf, Reuters said.

Irna quoted Ali Azmaei, the naval commander of the IRGC, as saying the ship was the sixth vessel carrying smuggled fuel seized by the IRGC’s maritime forces.
The seizure of the ship comes as Iran’s military took part in naval exercises with ships of the Chinese and Russian navies.

The Fars news agency said commandos of the Iranian Army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps were dispatched on a mission to counter pirates during the ongoing trilateral naval drill with China and Russia in the Indian Ocean and Sea of Oman.

The seizure of the ship comes as Iran’s military took part in naval exercises with ships of the Chinese and Russian navies.

The Fars news agency said commandos of the Iranian Army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps were dispatched on a mission to counter pirates during the ongoing trilateral naval drill with China and Russia in the Indian Ocean and Sea of Oman.