Iran Seizes US Oil Tanker Off Qeshm Island

Iran has seized a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker, the St Nikolas, loaded with Iraqi crude oil destined for Turkey, in the Gulf of Oman. The tanker has been located east of Iran's Qeshm Island, and its ship tracking system is offline. This seizure is seen as retaliation for the United States' confiscation of the same vessel and its Iranian oil cargo last year. The U.S. had seized the ship in a sanctions enforcement operation, prompting warnings from Iran. This incident coincides with ongoing attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi militias targeting Red Sea shipping routes.