U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has issued a statement regarding Friday’s incident involving the illegal boarding and seizure of the Marshall Islands–flagged tanker M/V Talara while it was transiting international waters in the Strait of Hormuz.

According to CENTCOM, the M/V Talara was seized in the Gulf of Oman after IRGC operatives arrived by helicopter and forcibly boarded the vessel. The IRGC then redirected the tanker toward Iran, where it now remains in the Clarence Strait off the coast of Qeshm Island.

CENTCOM stated:
“Iran’s use of military forces to carry out an armed boarding and seizure of a commercial vessel in international waters is a blatant violation of international law, undermining freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce. We call on Iran to explain to the international community the legal basis for its actions.”