A Tehran court has ordered the seizure of 850,000 barrels of crude oil on board the Advantage Sweet tanker (IMO: 9587192) which has been in Iranian custody for more than a year (MEES, 5 May 2023). The tanker was carrying Wafra crude from the Saudi/Kuwait Partitioned Neutral Zone (PNZ) to the US, according to Kpler, when Iran in April seized it in retaliation for the US seizure of the Suez Rajan, which was carrying 1mn b/d of Iranian crude.
The US subsequently offloaded and sold the Iranian crude, with the vessel then released and renamed St Nikolas. The newly named tanker was then seized by Iran off Oman in January, while carrying Iraqi crude oil for Turkey’s Tupras (MEES, 12 January). The vessel and its crew have remained in Iranian hands since, but Iran and the Philippines have now agreed for the Filipino crew to be replaced. (CONTINUED - 145 WORDS)