Iran 'unlawfully seized' oil tanker bound for Texas, Navy says

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy on Thursday seized control of a merchant oil vessel in international waters, according to the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command.

In a statement, the Navy's 5th Fleet reported that Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker "Advantage Sweet" —reportedly bound for Texas — sent a distress signal after being captured by Iranian forces, a move the U.S. says is "contrary to international law" and disrupts "regional security and stability."

The Navy also called for the Iranian government to "immediately release the oil tanker.”

The seizure marks at least the fifth time in the past two years that Iran has "unlawfully seized" a commercial vessel, according to the Navy, which also is accusing Iran of "harassment of vessels" and interfering with ships' navigational rights and threatening global economic and maritime security. 

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