TEHRAN - The Iranian Navy has seized a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in the Sea of Oman and directed it toward Iran’s coastal waters after the ship hit an Iranian vessel and tried to flee.

The foreign oil tanker collided with an Iranian fishing boat in the Persian Gulf late on Wednesday, the public relations department of the Iranian Army said on Thursday.

“The seizure came after an unknown ship collided with an Iranian vessel last night on Wednesday in the Persian Gulf, causing several Iranian crew members to go missing and get injured,” the Army said on Thursday.

According to the report, two crew members are still missing.

According to international law, in such cases the vessel responsible for the incident is tasked to rush to the help of the crew and provide medical services to the injured.

Recovering from the shock, the fishermen managed to issue a distress call. The Iranian Navy shortly after seized the tanker in the Sea of Oman after having been contacted by the Maritime Surveillance and Rescue Center (MRCC), Press TV reported.

The vessel was intercepted by Bayandor corvette of the Iranian Navy in compliance with a confiscation order issued by judicial authorities.