by Jack Phillips at theepochtimes.com
The U.S. Navy said it intervened in two separate incidents on July 5 to block Iranian vessels from attempting to seize two oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz, which separates Iran from the Arabian Peninsula.
“The Iranian navy did make attempts to seize commercial tankers lawfully transiting international waters,” Cmdr. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for the Navy’s Fifth Fleet, said in a statement to several news outlets. “The U.S. Navy responded immediately and prevented those seizures.”
The Iranian vessels, the U.S. Navy said, fired at one of the tankers as part of the second attempt; no damage or casualties were reported, officials said.
Both incidents took place in waters between Iran and Oman, the Navy said.
Cmdr. Hawkins didn’t say how the U.S. Navy prevented the seizure of the ships or provide any further information. Details regarding the second tanker weren’t immediately clear.
Oil giant Chevron said that one incident involved the Richmond Voyager, a large crude oil carrier managed by the company. The crew onboard the ship is safe, the company said.
A Chevron spokesperson said “there is no loss of life, injury, or loss of containment” aboard the Richmond Voyager.
“The vessel is operating normally. The safety of our crew is our top priority.”
British maritime security company Ambrey said a warship with a multinational navy task group was in the area at the time and had requested that the Iranian navy to “cease harassing” one of the merchant ships.
The Iranian regime hasn’t yet commented on the allegations. No statements were published to state-run affiliated news outlets as late on July 5.
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