View source for 2021 U.S.–Iran naval incident

{{Infobox event
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| date                     = Unknown (the incident was reported on 25 October 2021<ref name="Reuters"/>)
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| location                 = [[Persian Gulf]]
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| motive                   = Thwarting an alleged attempt by the U.S. to capture and detain a tanker carrying Iranian oil (according to Iran's [[IRGC]])<ref name="Guardian"/>
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| outcome                  = Seizure of Vietnamese flagged oil tanker and its consequent release without its original oil<ref name="Tasnim"/>
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| footage                  = {{URL|https://www.aparat.com/v/UWzaA|Official footage of the incident released by the IRGC}}
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Iran's [[Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps]] stated on 25 October 2021 that they had thwarted an attempt by the United States to capture and detain a tanker carrying Iranian oil in the [[gulf of Oman]] by carrying out a heliborne operation and directing the ship back to Iran's territorial waters. The Pentagon rejected the Iranian statement and said that Iranian forces had seized a [[Vietnam]]ese-flagged oil tanker in October.<ref name="Reuters">{{Cite news|date=2021-11-03|title=Iran says it blocks U.S. attempt to confiscate oil in Sea of Oman|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iranian-state-tv-says-iran-thwarts-us-attempt-steal-oil-sea-oman-2021-11-03/|access-date=2021-11-03}}</ref>

It was later confirmed by the Vietnam officials that Iran had captured their oil tanker MV ''Sothys''. After talks with the Iranian authorities, MV ''Sothys'' was released from the Bandar Abbas port on 11 November 2021 without "its original batch of oil."<ref name="Newsweek1"/> The IRGC public relations department said the release had been under warrant.<ref name="Tasnim">{{cite news |title=Vietnamese Oil Tanker Seized by IRGC Released - Politics news |url=https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2021/11/10/2605573/vietnamese-oil-tanker-seized-by-irgc-released |access-date=31 December 2021 |work=Tasnim News Agency |language=en}}</ref> IRGC released an official footage showing the tanker seizing operation.

==Background==
Iran's crude oil exports were re-imposed sanctions by the United States after [[Donald Trump]] withdrew [[Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action|JCPOA]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Hafezi|first1=Parisa|title=U.S. will sanction whoever purchases Iran's oil: official|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-iran-oil-idUSKCN1VT0H2|website=reuters}}</ref> Either, Iran's exports sharply expanded, the data show, after the United States elections.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Jakes|first1=Lara|title=Iran’s Oil Exports Rise as U.S. Looks to Rejoin Nuclear Accord|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/18/us/politics/iran-oil-exports-nuclear-accord.html|website=nytimes}}</ref>

On 14 August 2020, the United States allegedly seized four Iranian fuel shipments bound for Venezuela. The confiscated shipments were reportedly bound for [[Houston]], Texas.<ref>{{cite web|title=US seizes millions of dollars of Iranian fuel bound for Venezuela|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53783179|website=[[BBC]]}}</ref> Washington described it as an action against flouting U.S. sanctions. According to ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'' report, the U.S. forced Greek shipowners to surrender Iranian fuel to the U.S. government by threatening sanctions.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Faucon |first1=Benoit |last2=McBride |first2=Courtney |date=August 14, 2020 |title=Washington’s Threats Forced Greek Shippers to Give Iran Fuel to U.S. |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/washingtons-threats-forced-greek-shippers-to-give-iran-fuel-to-u-s-11597449458 |website=[[The Wall Street Journal]]}}</ref> Legal sources had previously told [[Reuters]] that the shipments could not be confiscated until they were in U.S. territorial waters.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Pamuk |first1=Humeyra |last2=Hosenball |first2=Mark |date=14 August 2020 |title=U.S. says seized four Iranian fuel shipments en route to Venezuela |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-iran-cargo-idUSKCN25A2AH |website=[[Reuters]]}}</ref>

Hojat Soltani, Iran's ambassador to Venezuela called it a big lie and wrote on [[Twitter]]: "Neither the ships are Iranian nor their owners or their cargo has any connection to Iran,".<ref>{{cite web|title=US says it seized 4 Iranian fuel shipments headed for Venezuela|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/8/15/us-says-it-seized-4-iranian-fuel-shipments-headed-for-venezuela|website=[[Al Jazeera Media Network|Al Jazeera]]}}</ref>

==Incident==
On 3 November 2021, Iran's [[Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps|IRGC]] stated that they thwarted an attempt by the United States to capture and detain a tanker carrying Iranian oil in the [[gulf of Oman]].<ref name="Newsweek1"/> The IRGC said in a media statement that "With the timely and authoritative action of the Guards’ naval forces, the US terrorist navy's operation to steal Iranian oil in the Sea of Oman failed."<ref name="Guardian">{{cite news |last1=Wintour |first1=Patrick |title=US denies Iranian account of attempted oil tanker capture |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/03/iranian-media-claim-guards-thwarted-us-attempt-to-capture-oil-tanker |access-date=30 December 2021 |work=The Guardian |date=3 November 2021 }}</ref> IRGC said in a statement on its website Sepahnews, that US forces had seized the tanker, carrying Iranian oil, and transferred the oil to another tanker and then moved it to an "unknown destination". According to the statement, IRGC naval forces, with air support, intervened by capturing the second tanker, "thwarting a second attempt by the US Navy to retake the vessel."<ref>{{cite news |title=Iran, US give differing accounts in Sea of Oman tanker incident |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/11/3/iran-says-halted-us-navy-seizing-oil-tanker-in-sea-of-oman |access-date=31 December 2021 |work=www.aljazeera.com }}</ref> US officials denied the Iranian account and said there had been no American aimed at seizing a tanker.<ref name="Guardian"/> The U.S. officials said that Iranian forces had actually seized a Vietnamese-flagged oil tanker last month while "two U.S. navy ships, backed by air support, had monitored the situation, but did not try to interdict the vessel." According to ''[[The Guardian]]'', "if the American account is true, it is unclear why the Iranians would seek to board a vessel taking Iranian oil for export clandestinely towards Asia."<ref name="Guardian"/>

Vietnam later confirmed capture of its oil tanker, MV ''Sothys'', with Vietnam's foreign minister saying they held talks with the Iranian authorities to resolve the issue. They also quoted oil tanker's captain as confirming on 27 October 2021 in Tehran that "all 26 members of the crew were in good health and were being well-treated."<ref>{{cite web |title=Vietnam And Iran In Negotiation Over Seized Oil Tanker 'MV Sothys' |url=https://www.marineinsight.com/shipping-news/vietnam-and-iran-in-negotiation-over-seized-oil-tanker-mv-sothys/ |website=Marine Insight |access-date=20 December 2021 |date=8 November 2021}}</ref> The Vietnamese oil tanker MV ''Sothys'' was released from the Bandar Abbas port on 11 November 2021 without "its original batch of oil."<ref name="Newsweek1"/>

According to Seyyed Mohammad Marandi, a Tehran-based analyst, the captured tanker was "one of four tankers carrying Iranian oil to Venezuela that had been seized by the United States in the Atlantic Ocean" in August 2019. "Now the tanker with the same captain & crew & under US military protection has been seized by the IRGC Navy," Marandi said in a tweet. This statement was rejected by a Pentagon spokesman.<ref name="NYT">{{cite news |last1=Fassihi |first1=Farnaz |last2=Schmitt |first2=Eric |title=Iran Seizes an Oil Tanker, but Whose Tanker Is Disputed |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/03/world/middleeast/iran-tanker-oil.html |access-date=31 December 2021 |work=The New York Times |date=4 November 2021}}</ref>

==Aftermath==
On 11 November 2021, MV ''Sothys'', the Vietnamese oil tanker, was released after transferring the oil, according to spokesperson Shahrokh Nazemi speaking to the AP. Iranian state media said that the oil transfer from the ''Sothys'' under a court order.<ref name="Newsweek1">{{cite web |last1=Brady |first1=Erin |title=Iran releases Vietnamese tanker after draining oil from vessel, crew's status unknown |url=https://www.newsweek.com/iran-releases-vietnamese-tanker-after-draining-oil-vessel-crews-status-unknown-1647992 |website=Newsweek |access-date=21 December 2021 |language=en |date=10 November 2021}}</ref>

===Footage release===
Iran celebrated its capture of the vessel in a footage aired on state television, showing IRGC special forces carrying out a heliborne operation and directing the ship back to Iran's territorial waters. The footage was released one day before the 42nd anniversary of the [[1979 seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran]].<ref name="Newsweek1"/> The footage showed Iranian commandos heliboarding on a tanker. The tanker was then surrounded several IRGC [[speedboat]]s and "a voice in English warned a U.S. ship to leave the area."<ref name="NYT"/>

==Reactions==

===Iran===
[[Hossein Salami]], head of the IRGC, said: this event is "humiliation for an empire on the decline."<ref name="Al-Monitor">{{cite web |last1= |title=Iran's IRGC praises forces in Gulf of Oman incident |url=https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2021/11/irans-irgc-praises-forces-gulf-oman-incident |website=[[Al-Monitor]]}}</ref>

Admiral [[Alireza Tangsiri]], head of the IRGC navy, called claims by US officials are incorrect and said: given that the distance of US ships was less than {{convert|98|ft}} from Iranian vessels and forces, if they just wanted to monitor the situation, they could do it from long a distance or use aircraft and [[Drone aircraft|drones]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Motamedi |first1=Maziar |title=Iran frees Vietnamese tanker seized after US navy confrontation |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/11/10/iran-frees-vietnamese-tanker-seized-after-us-confrontation |website=Al Jazeera}}</ref> Also, he claimed that the US was "prepared for a large operation" based on their earlier assessments.<ref name="Al-Monitor"/>

===United States===

[[John Kirby (admiral)|John Kirby]], Pentagon spokesman, called this a bogus claim. He said: "The only seizing that was done was by Iran".<ref>{{cite web |last=Babb |first=Carla |date=November 3, 2021 |title=Pentagon: Iran's Claims that US Tried to Seize Tanker 'False' |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/pentagon-iran-s-claims-that-us-tried-to-seize-tanker-false-/6298927.html |website=[[Voice of America]]}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[2016 U.S.–Iran naval incident]]
* [[2004 Iranian seizure of Royal Navy personnel]]
* [[2007 Iranian arrest of Royal Navy personnel]]
* [[2008 U.S.–Iranian naval dispute]]
* [[2011–12 Strait of Hormuz dispute]]
* [[July 2021 Gulf of Oman incident]]
* [[August 2021 Gulf of Oman incident]]
* [[2022 Iran–Greece naval incident]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{2021 shipwrecks}}
{{Iran–United States relations}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:2021 U.S.-Iran naval incident}}
[[Category:2021 in Oman]]
[[Category:2021 in Iran]]
[[Category:2021 in the United States]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 2021]]
[[Category:Incidents in the Gulf of Oman]]
[[Category:Iran–United States military relations]]