Iranian pro-government media said on March 6 that Tehran would “unload” $50 million worth of crude oil from a ship it has seized illegally in April 2023.
The Advantage Sweet is a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker. Tasnim News in Iran reported that the ship would be unloaded.
It was not clear if and when this would happen.
Escalated Houthi attacks
This came the same day as the Iranian-backed Houthis attacked a ship off the southern coast of Yemen and killed three members of the crew.
The Houthis have attacked numerous ships since they chose to support Hamas’ attack on Israel.
This is the first time they killed anyone in their attacks. A ship attacked in February recently sank in the Red Sea.
“The unloading of the cargo follows a court order by Iran’s judiciary, which stated the move is in retaliation to US sanctions preventing the sale of critical medicine for Iranian victims of a rare skin disease,” Al-Arabiya reported.
“Advantage Sweet is a Suezmax crude tanker that had been chartered by US firm Chevron,” the report noted.
Meanwhile, the US State Department said that Iran should release the ship. The US condemned Iran’s continued harassment of ships.
The reports about Iran’s unloading come as Iranian Fars News pro-government media also said Iran’s navy has been provided with new weapons. Photos showed missiles and other munitions.
The attack by the Houthis on the Barbados-flagged True Confidence, which resulted in three crew being murdered, is a serious escalation.
BBC noted that “the US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees operations in the Middle East, said three crew members had been killed and at least four injured, including three critically.” The US condemned the attack.
"These reckless attacks by the Houthis have disrupted global trade and taken the lives of international seafarers," CENTCOM said.
The UK also condemned the attack. The US and UK have attempted to prevent Houthi attacks. However, the attacks have gotten worse, and the missiles appear more accurate and cause more damage.
This could be simply a matter of bad luck over a long enough time, but it could also be the result of Iran aiding the Houthis in targeting and capabilities. Iran has backed the Houthis for a decade and helped them increase the range and capability of their missiles.
The threat to ships is a new phenomenon by the Houthis, and they were prodded to conduct these attacks by Iran. Iran is seeking to create a multi-front war against Israel and Israeli partners in the region.