NEW DELHI: The US-bound oil tanker seized by Iran off the coast of Oman on Thursday has 24 Indians as crew members but appear to be at no risk, if previous incidents of seizures are any indication. Reports say the tanker’s owners were negotiating with the Iranian authorities for their release.
“Advantage Sweet is currently being escorted by the Iranian navy to a port on the basis of an international dispute,” owners of The Marshall Islands-flagged Advantage Sweet said in a statement to the media.
Iran claims the tanker had collided with its vessel. Consequently, two Iranian crew members went missing and several others sustained injuries. The United States navy has issued a statement demanding the ship’s immediate release and pulling up Iran for its “continued harassment” in the Persian Gulf. Chartered by Chevron Corp, Advantage Sweet had departed from Kuwait and was headed for Houston, Texas.