US Navy intervened to stop Iran seizing two tankers in Gulf of Oman, US defense official says |...

The US Navy intervened to stop Iranian Navy ships attempting to seize two oil tankers in separate incidents in the Gulf of Oman early on Wednesday morning, according to a US defense official.

An Iranian ship opened fire at the tanker in the second seizure attempt, according to the official.

In the first incident, an Iranian Navy vessel approached the TRF Moss, a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker, in international waters in the Gulf of Oman at approximately 1 am local time, the official said. The tanker was through the Strait of Hormuz and heading toward the Arabian Sea when the Iranian vessel approached.

The Iranian ship had no reason to be there or approach the tanker except to attempt to seize it, the official said. A US Navy destroyer, along with maritime patrol aircraft, approached the ships to prevent the oil tanker being seized, the official said, at which point the Iranian vessel changed course and left the area.