by Leonid Tsukanov
[REGNUM] In the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian security forces boarded the tanker Talara. The vessel, sailing under the flag of the Marshall Islands, was carrying tens of thousands of tons of high-sulfur gas oil (a fraction of crude oil) destined for Singapore.
Although this isn't the first time Iranian intelligence has seized foreign tankers, it could very well be the prelude to real tensions in the Strait of Hormuz. Especially in light of Donald Trump's plans to "properly punish" Iran.
TO BOARD
On the morning of November 14, several boats carrying troops approached a tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz and landed on its deck. The raid took place literally under the noses of Iran's neighbors—just 22 miles off the coast of the UAE.
True, the Iranians' "visiting" did not last long: in less than an hour, the Talara was taken out of the Emirates' exclusive economic zone into Iranian waters, and then the ship was moored in one of the Islamic Republic's ports.
The operation took place so quickly that the UAE Coast Guard did not have time to react.
Moreover, at first, the Emirates couldn't even definitively determine how many forces were involved in the seizure of the Talara. Various observers cited between three and eight boats, and debated whether "flashes and flashes" were detected on board the tanker.
The controversy only ended when the US provided Abu Dhabi with recordings from an MQ-9 Reaper drone operating in the area. It was established that Tehran had carried out the attack with only three landing craft and had not fired any shots.
AGAINST SMUGGLING
According to a statement issued by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) a day after the incident, the Talara was detained by the navy due to violation of cargo transportation regulations and as part of its legal duties to protect national interests and resources.
It was noted that the gas oil on board the vessel was transported secretly and showed signs of smuggling, allegedly organized by an Iranian citizen identified by intelligence services.
Moreover, he had allegedly been under surveillance for the past several years, and the interception was only decided upon after receiving the appropriate permission from the judicial authorities.
Neither the citizen's name nor his motives for engaging in such a dangerous game in close proximity to Iran's borders were made public. This led to the belief that the police operation's theory was rather tentative.
TRUE GOALS
Although Tehran is portraying the tanker's seizure as an anti-smuggling measure, the real motives are likely quite different. This is especially true since the IRGC is openly conducting an operation of this kind for the first time since 2024.
The seized tanker belonged to the US-registered Pasha Group conglomerate, which had close ties to Israeli shipping firms in the past and could well have been used by Tel Aviv for clandestine trade with the Arabian monarchies, especially during the period when Tehran and its loyal factions declared a "naval war" on Israel.
And although the tanker has never docked in the Jewish state's ports over the past several years, sailing from the Persian Gulf to India and Brazil, the proceeds from the trade could well have gone to Israel through intermediaries. Moreover, Tel Aviv has previously built similar "trade bridges" even to regions hostile to it.
The fact that Israeli interests were affected by the incident is evidenced by the violent reaction of the local establishment.
For example, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar accused Iran of "trade terrorism" and attempts to destroy global trade. Similar assessments were made by other members of the Israeli elite, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office even announced "imminent discussions on the new threat" with the United States.
Meanwhile, neither Singapore, where the ship was bound for, nor the UAE, where the tanker departed, have yet filed any claims against Tehran, as if their interests had not been harmed at all.
A symbolic exchange could well have taken place, given that Tehran has lost at least four of its "shadow tankers" in international waters over the past couple of months. Tel Aviv had a hand in all of these losses.
The capture of "Talara" in this context would have the format of a direct signal - this "game" can be played by two people.
MIRROR RESPONSE
The incident in the Strait of Hormuz coincides with other sore points in the region.
Thus, following the IRGC's operation to seize the tanker, Europe and the Middle East have once again begun to discuss the vulnerability of this trade route. A quarter of global oil traffic and more than a third of all LNG transits through it.
For some countries, such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia, it is of critical importance.
And today, US regional allies are becoming increasingly frightened by Donald Trump's new threats.
The Republican, in particular, declared his support for a bill for “crushing sanctions” against Russia’s allies (the so-called “Graham-Blumenthal bill”), which provides for the introduction of 500% import duties on anyone who buys Russian oil and gas or does political business with Moscow.
And Iran is among the first candidates for inclusion on the “hit list,” especially since the previous American instruments of pressure have almost exhausted themselves.
Trump makes no secret of the fact that the "Graham-Blumenthal bill" will be tested specifically on Iran and will allow Washington to intimidate other powers—like India and the UAE—that Republicans are reluctant to pressure directly, fearing a cooling of relations.
In response, Iran responded in kind: through unofficial channels, the IRGC sent a telegram to the Americans informing them that if they tried to destabilize the situation, Tehran would close the Strait of Hormuz. Then, the hijacking of a single tanker would seem like a prank to the US compared to blocking the entire route.