BREAKING: IRGC Seizes Two Vessels, Detains 15 Crew Members in Fuel Smuggling Crackdown
IRGC Navy intercepts two foreign ships near Farsi Island carrying over one million liters of smuggled diesel. 15 foreign crew members arrested and handed to judicial authorities.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy seized two foreign vessels near Farsi Island in the Persian Gulf on fuel smuggling charges, state media reported Wednesday.
The IRGC intercepted the ships carrying over one million liters of smuggled diesel following what Iranian authorities described as intelligence monitoring and surveillance operations. The fuel was confiscated and the vessels transferred to Iranian custody.
Fifteen foreign crew members were arrested and handed over to judicial authorities for legal proceedings. Their nationalities were not disclosed in initial reports.
Farsi Island is a strategically sensitive area in the Persian Gulf where the IRGC maintains a naval base. The island has been the site of previous maritime incidents, including the 2016 detention of U.S. sailors.
Fuel smuggling remains a persistent problem in Iran due to heavy domestic subsidies on diesel and gasoline, making it profitable to export illegally to neighboring countries where prices are significantly higher.
The IRGC regularly announces such seizures. Similar operations in 2025 included the April interception of two Tanzanian-flagged vessels near Farsi Island carrying 1.5 million liters of fuel, and a December case involving a ship with 4 million liters.
The Persian Gulf is a critical shipping route for global oil supplies. Maritime incidents in the waterway often escalate regional tensions, particularly amid ongoing U.S.-Iran frictions and recent Houthi disruptions in nearby waters.
No immediate international reactions from the U.S. or the crews' home countries have been reported.