Iranian IRGC Seizes Two Tankers in the Persian Gulf (VIDEO)
News under the heading “Was That Allowed?” The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps intercepted two vessels carrying fuel.
The Fars news agency claims that more than 1 million liters of contraband fuel were discovered during the inspection. The 15 foreign crew members were handed over to judicial authorities for criminal prosecution.
According to the IRGC, the vessels were part of an extensive network and were involved in fuel smuggling for several months, while the IRGC’s navy monitored them before the seizure.
And this isn’t their first time. In 2022, they detained two Greek tankers in retaliation for Greece confiscating an Iranian oil tanker at the request of the United States.
In the spring of 2025, two such vessels were detained on suspicion of smuggling diesel fuel. This week, Iranian boats attempted to detain a US-flagged tanker. They approached the vessel in the Strait of Hormuz and demanded it be stopped for inspection, but it accelerated and continued under military escort.
This is part of the discussion about how to respond to state piracy, which the West has legitimized with the US.
Originally published by News Pravda
Russia hints it will deploy Navy to protect ‘shadow fleet’
The authority that is headed by security service hawk Nikolai Patrushev says it has elaborated a set of measures aimed at protecting Russian shipping.
The measures were reportedly adopted in a meeting of the Russian Maritime Board on January 21.
“Issues related to ensuring the safety of navigation on strategic maritime routes are considered. Particular attention is paid to problems associated with violations of international maritime law by unfriendly states,” the Maritime Board reported.
The proposed measures come after several tankers carrying Russian oil have been halted by foreign special services.
On December 31, 2025, Finnish authorities boarded and seized the cargo ship Fitsburg in the Baltic Sea. A few days later, US forces took action against the tanker Marinera as it sailed from Venezuela towards Murmansk.
On January 22, the French Navy boarded the tanker Grinch as it sailed from Murmansk to the Mediterranean. The purpose was to verify the nationality of a ship suspected of sailing under false flag, the French authorities said.
Nikolai Patrushev is set to present the proposed Russian countermeasures to Putin, according to the Maritime Board.
Patrushev is the former head of the Federal Security Service (FSB) and secretary of the Russian Security Council. He today serves as an aide to Putin on shipbuilding and maritime affairs.
The measures are likely to include a deployment of naval forces for the protection of ships that serve Russian interests.
Originally published by The Barents Observer
