Iran has seized a foreign-flagged tanker in the Gulf of Oman, accusing it of smuggling 2 million liters of fuel, according to Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency. Hormozgan province’s Chief Justice, Mojtaba Ghahremani, confirmed the arrest of 17 crew members and the opening of a judicial case as part of Tehran’s ongoing crackdown on fuel smuggling.

Iranian authorities announced on Wednesday that a foreign tanker was intercepted in the Gulf of Oman for illegally transporting fuel. The operation was part of a broader surveillance effort targeting fuel smuggling in the region, Hormozgan’s Chief Justice Mojtaba Ghahremani said.

“During the continuous process of monitoring and surveilling suspicious fuel smuggling movements in the Gulf of Oman, officers inspected a foreign tanker due to its lack of legal documents regarding its cargo and seized it on charges of carrying 2 million liters of smuggled fuel,” Ghahremani stated.

The judiciary confirmed that the 17 crew members aboard the vessel were arrested and a case was filed with the prosecutor’s office in Jask county. No details were released on the vessel’s name or the flag it was sailing under.

Iran, which maintains some of the world’s lowest fuel prices thanks to government subsidies and a weakened national currency, faces persistent fuel smuggling challenges. Smugglers often transport subsidized Iranian fuel by land to neighboring countries and by sea to Gulf Arab states.

“The actions of fuel smugglers, who in coordination with foreigners, attempt to plunder national wealth will not remain hidden from the judiciary,” Ghahremani said. “Punishment of perpetrators, if their crimes are proven, will be without leniency.”

Iranian authorities have made frequent arrests in recent years linked to maritime fuel smuggling in the Gulf and surrounding waters, often accusing foreign actors of involvement.