Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) seized two oil tankers carrying about 4.5 million liters of fuel on Wednesday, claiming that the tankers were smuggling fuel, according to Iranian media.
One of the two ships was carrying 2.28 million liters and had a crew of 13 foreign citizens, Ali Ozmaee, commander of the Fifth Naval Region of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, told the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News Agency. The second ship was carrying 2.3 million liters of fuel and had a crew of 21 foreign citizens.
The report did not state what countries the vessels or the crew were from.
The two vessels were seized south of Abu Musa Island, located between Iran and the United Arab Emirates. The island is administered by Tehran, but is claimed by the UAE as a territory of the emirate of Sharjah.
Maritime tensions rise in region amid Houthi attacks
The incident comes amid heightened maritime tensions in the region as the Iran-backed Houthi militia intensifies its attacks on maritime traffic in the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
On Wednesday, the US Navy shot down a drone that was launched from Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen. Earlier, the United Kingdom Marine Trade Operations reported an incident involving a UAV west of the port of Hodeidah in Yemen.