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Incident Alert – Vessel Boarded by Armed Persons in the Gulf of Oman |
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| Date: 11 January 2024 – 0725 UTC | Position: Lat 23° 34′ N 57° 34′ E |
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Location: Gulf of Oman, 50nm East of Sohar, Oman |
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Incident Details
The UKMTO released Warning 006/JAN/2024 and 2 updates after receiving reports of vessel being boarded by 4-5 armed unauthorised persons at approximately 0330UTC in an area 50nm East of Sohar, Oman. The unauthorised boarders are reported to be wearing military-style black uniforms with black masks.
Comment
Information received indicates the vessel involved in this incident is the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker ST NIKOLAS (previously SUEZ RAJAN). The tanker is associated with the Greek shipping company Empire Navigation, which previously pleaded guilty to smuggling sanctioned Iranian crude oil.
Assessment
It is highly likely this vessel has been boarded by Iranian military forces, most likely maritime elements of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). The IRGC has a history of boarding vessels they believe are engaged in oil smuggling or other irregular activity including financial disputes. It is likely the vessel owner’s links to Iranian oil transportation are behind the boarding of this vessel. The timing of this incident is also significant considering the continuing attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and the US warning on 03 January 24, which stated Houthi will bear the responsibility for the consequences should they continue to threaten lives. On 10 January, the US led Operation PROSPERITY GUARDIAN shot down 18 aerial drones, 2 anti-ship cruise missiles and 1 anti-ship ballistic missile.
