Iran Press/Iran news: Seyyed Abbas Mousavi said “The tanker was in trouble due to technical defects in the Persian Gulf.”
Mousavi said Iranian forces towed the ship into Iranian waters, adding that “the necessary repairs will be done.”
His statement was the first public statement from an Iranian official of the missing Emirati-based small tanker ‘Riah.’ The vessel departed either Dubai or Sharjah ports last week and sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, before deviating from its course and pointing towards Iran.
Riah vessel's last position befor its tracking signal turned off
Earlier on Tuesday, Associated Press reported, "A small oil tanker from the United Arab Emirates traveling through the Strait of Hormuz entered Iranian waters and shortly before midnight on Saturday, its tracking signal turned off...," claiming that US has suspected Iran seized the vessel.
This is while, the Riah, a 58-meter oil tanker, typically made trips from Dubai and Sharjah on the UAE’s west coast before going through the strait and heading to Fujairah on the UAE’s east coast. However, something happened to the vessel after 11 p.m. on Saturday, according to tracking data.
UAE officials distanced themselves from the tanker’s crew, with a spokesman telling local media that “the tanker in question is neither UAE owned nor operated, does not carry Emirati personnel, and did not emit a distress call. We are monitoring the situation.”
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