A fireboat is extinguishing fire of Front Altair Tanker

Image by Exclusive Images for Tasnim News Agency

This story is developing…

Iran has seized a third tanker in the Persian Gulf; the nationality of the vessel was not reported as of yet.

“This foreign vessel had received the fuel from other ships and was transferring it to Persian Gulf Arab states,” Fars quoted Gen. Ramazan Zirahi, a Guard commander, as saying, reported ABC News.

State TV and the semi-official Fars news agency reported that seven crew members were detained when the ship was seized late Wednesday carrying 700,000 liters of “smuggled fuel” from Iran, added ABC.

Iran has repeatedly tried to pull the United States into a kinetic conflict in the Gulf region, as a war works towards their advantage in the propaganda duel. U.S. President Trump has resisted getting involved in a shooting war.