Smart Tankers, a Greek ship manager, is still waiting to hear from Iran on why its special forces seized one of its tankers at open sea 15 days ago.
The Piraeus-based company said in a statement on Thursday that it has not been given any explanation for the detention yet.
Mystery continues to surround the motives behind Iran’s interception of the 309,000-dwt Niovi (built 2005), one of three tankers it has seized in Middle East Gulf waters since late April.
Iranian state news outlets have since reported, without elaborating, that the Niovi was impounded following a complaint by a plaintiff in a legal dispute.
Smart Tankers, however, dismissed any notion that its vessel could be embroiled in a legal dispute in Iran.
“Owners, managers, crew and vessel have no links whatsoever to Iran,” it said.
TradeWinds has previously reported that the VLCC has been at the centre of a UK court battle in which five parties are claiming ownership of an oil cargo discharged in China.
United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), a New York-based group backed by US, Israeli and German former security and intelligence officials advocating sanctions against Tehran, has said it “strongly suspects” the Niovi’s seizure is related to the affair.
Smart Tankers said on Thursday that it has obtained no such — or any other — information.
Calling for the “immediate and unconditional release of the vessel and its crew”, it said: “No dispute, claim, proceedings or accusations have been notified to the managers, the owners or the crew on board.
“Owners have no further information, and no official or unofficial explanation has been given for the seizure of the vessel.”
According to Greek authorities, the Niovi has a 30-member crew. All of them are from the Philippines and Sri Lanka, with the exception of its master, who is a Greek citizen born in 1970.
The crew is well
Smart Tankers said on Thursday that the owners have been in contact with the master, “who has confirmed that the crew are safe and their welfare is good”.
“Arrangements have been made to supply the vessel with necessary provisions,” the company added.
The Niovi had an estimated freeboard of 21.25 metres when Iran’s Revolutionary Guard boarded it, which suggests it was empty.
The ship had been sailing in international waters in the Strait of Hormuz.
Advantage Tankers, the owner of another tanker seized by Iran — the Chevron-chartered 159,000-dwt Advantage Sweet (built 2012) — has also said it has been in touch with the crew and that they are well.
As a response to the ship seizures, the US Navy has stepped up its presence in the waters off Iran.
According to a tweet by the US 5th fleet on Thursday, the Strait of Hormuz is patrolled by the USCGC John Scheuerman and USCGC Robert Goldman.
“The US 5th Fleet has increased the rotational presence of forces in the key maritime strait,” the tweet said.
