Iran Releases Seized Cargo Ship

Iran has released the Maersk Tigris, a container ship it seized in the Strait of Hormuz last week. Marzieh Afkham, the spokeswoman for the Iranian foreign ministry, said the Maersk Tigris had “left Iranian territorial waters.” (ISNA/BBC, 7 May)

The Marshall Islands-flagged vessel was intercepted by IRGC Navy patrol boats on 28 April.

Maersk Meets Iran Officials over Seizure of Vessel

No Progress Reported

Maersk Line said on Monday it had met with Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) regarding the seizure of the vessel Maersk Tigris but has yet to receive any official documents from Iranian authorities.

“We have yet to receive any written notifications, court ruling, arrest order or similar, pertaining to the seizure of Maersk Tigris or the cargo case,” Maersk said in a written statement. (Reuters, 4 May)

Iran has said the seizure of the vessel at he Strait of Hormuz by the IRGC Navy concerns a years-old case over uncollected cargo and an unpaid bill. Iran took the unusual step of seizing the vessel at sea and forcing it to sail to an Iranian port. For safety reasons, commercial ships involved in legal disputes are arrested while already docked at a port.

The Maersk Tigris is not owned by the Danish shipping giant. Maersk had chartered the vessel, which is owned by Singapore’s Rickmer Shipmanagement. 

Maersk called again for the crew and the vessel to be released immediately.

File photo: The Maersk Tigris (abc)

U.S. Navy to Accompany American Ships in Persian Gulf

U.S. Navy will begin accompanying American commercial ships as they travel the Strait of Hormuz, Fox News reported today. 

The IRGC Navy seized a Marshall-Islands flagged vessel traveling the Strait on Tuesday. U.S. officials said the U.S. and Marshall Islands are in contact over the incident.

Photo: The Maersk Tigris (Damietta Port Authority via Defense News)

 

Iran Intercepts Cargo Ship at Strait of Hormuz

U.S. Moves to Respond

Iranian patrol vessels today fired shots across the bow of a cargo ship flagged to the Marshal Islands, forcing it to travel into Iranian waters. There are still gaps of information about how the incident began. The Iranian forces then boarded the cargo ship, the Maersk Tigris. The incident occurred at around 1:30 pm local time (5:00 am EST).

After receiving a distress signal from the Maersk, U.S. Central Command’s Naval Forces Central dispatched the destroyer Farragut to proceed to the location of the vessel and dispatched a maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft to observe the situation, the Pentagon announced. (Defense News, 28 April)

Marshal Islands have security and defense arrangements with the U.S. But there were no American citizens onboard the vessel, which has a crew of 34. The ship was traveling from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia to Jebel Ali in the UAE. It was now in the vicinity of Iran’s Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz.

Factors that could have affected Iran’s highly unusual decision to seize the cargo ship were not known at this time. Last week, the U.S. Navy blocked an Iranian convoy of several freighters led by IRGCN warships suspected of attempting to deliver arms to the Huthi insurgents in Yemen. The convoy reversed course in the direction of home. Public comments out of Iran on that incident manifest a high degree of frustration, even anger, at the U.S. move. Today, the Maersk was traveling between Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The two countries are perceived by Iran as the leaders of an anti-Iran Sunnis coalition in Yemen and elsewhere.

UPDATE: Iran's official news agency IRNA reports that the seizure of the Maersk Tigris was because of an outstanding warrant by an Iranian court against the Maersk shipping lines. IRNA said the warrant was issued after a private Iranian company had filed a claim that Maersk owed money to the company.

The explanation offered by IRNA creates more questions than answers. The IRGC Navy is sent to intercept and seize a cargo ship at the Strait of Hormuz to enforce a civil law suit by an unnamed private company in Iran against a shipping giant during a tense period in the region. Highly unusual, indeed!

File photo: The Maersk Tigris (Damietta Port Authority via Defense News)