AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The United States Navy made “unprofessional and risky” attempts to intervene as the naval forces of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) seized a foreign oil tanker involved in smuggling Iranian fuel in the Persian Gulf last week, according to a senior commander.
Rear Admiral Ramazan Zirrahi, the commander of IRGC's second naval zone, provided details of the seizure of the foreign oil tanker, named NADA 2, in the Persian Gulf on Thursday.
He said that the “vigilance, precision, and professional behavior” of the IRGC naval forces thwarted the illegal actions of the Americans in the region.
“A foreign tanker carrying over one million liters of smuggled fuel was seized in Iranian waters in the Persian Gulf. This vessel was backed by US military support, but the naval forces of the IRGC successfully intercepted it and apprehended the violators,” Zirrahi stated during a press briefing on Monday.
He further mentioned that the Americans engaged in unprofessional and hazardous maneuvers during the inspection in an attempt to hinder the lawful operation.
During the seizure operation, it became known that the captain of the vessel was in communication with the US command and control center in the region, seeking assistance for escape.
“In recorded conversations, it became clear that the American officer ordered the captain of the vessel to shut down the engine so that US military forces could intervene,” Admiral Zirrahi added.
The Americans deployed fighter jets, surveillance aircraft, helicopters, and an unmanned aircraft, accompanied by patrol vessels, to the location of the seizure to prevent the Iranian operation, he said.
The commander emphasized that the naval forces of the second naval zone issued firm warnings to all manned and unmanned aircraft and vessels in the area, before successfully escorting the detained oil tanker to the Port of Bushehr for legal proceedings.
Admiral Zirrahi emphasized that the Americans have repeatedly made unlawful attempts to facilitate the escape of fuel-smuggling vessels in the Persian Gulf but have always been confronted by the IRGC forces.
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