TEHRAN - Following a court order the Iranian Navy on Thursday seized a tanker with Iraqi crude destined for Turkey in retaliation for the confiscation of the same vessel and its Iranian crude by the United States in 2023.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) identified the tanker Marshall Islands-flagged St Nikolas. UKMTO said the tanker was boarded at about 7:30 am (0330 GMT) in the Sea of Oman and changed course towards Bandar-e-Jask in Iran. 

The St Nikolas was seized by the United States in April 2023 when it sailed under a different name, Suez Rajan. Following the move, Iran warned the U.S. that the seizure would "not go unanswered".

The Suez Rajan was carrying more than 980,000 barrels of Iranian crude oil when it was seized by the U.S. in line with its illegal sanctions against the Islamic Republic. The tanker stole the cargo and transferred it to the United States’ ports. 

In August the U.S. Navy unloaded Iranian oil worth around $56 million off the Texas port despite warnings from Iran and after American oil firms had resisted the temptation of touching the cargo in fear of Iranian retaliation in the Persian Gulf. 

Also, in May 2022 the U.S. seized a Russia-operated ship, the Pegas, carrying Iranian oil off the shore of Karystos near Greece to dispatch the cargo to the U.S. but the Greek court ruled against the move. 

Similarly, in February 2021 Washington seized a tanker carrying Iranian oil off the coast of the Emirati city of Fujairah and sold more than a million barrels of its oil.