The Iranian navy has seized the Barbados-flagged tanker Ocean Koi for “attempting to export oil“, IRNA reported.
According to the news agency, the ship's oil transportation could “undermine the interests of the Iranian people“.
After the seizure, the tanker was sent to the Islamic Republic's southern coast.
Press TV reported that the vessel was seized in the Gulf of Oman.
According to Iranian state media, the ship was seized for an alleged attempt to “interrupt Iran's oil exports“ and harm national interests by “exploiting regional conditions“.
The tanker was carrying Iranian oil cargo, which Tehran claims belongs to the Islamic Republic.
The operation was carried out by the Iranian Navy commandos as a “special operation“, following a decision by the Supreme National Security Council.
The ship was escorted and handed over to the judicial authorities.
The tanker Ocean Koi (72,768 DWT) is owned by the Marshall Islands-based company Ocean Kudos Shipping Co Ltd and has been under US sanctions since February 2026. According to the US Treasury Department, the vessel has been part of Iran's “shadow fleet“ since at least 2020.
The detention comes at a time of high tension in the region, following reports of clashes between US and Iranian forces in the Strait of Hormuz strait.