Hijacked tanker crew foiled Iranian commando raid by scuppering engine

The crew of an oil tanker hijacked by suspected Iranian commandos off the coast of Oman this week may have foiled the plot by saying the vessel had engine problems, according to a media report.

Armed men raided the Panama-flagged Asphalt Princess on Tuesday, in an apparent hijack attempt until the party left the vessel the following day.

UK government sources told The Times that the armed group consisted of "eight or nine" men, believed to be Iranians, who had ordered the crew to sail the tanker to Iran.

The sailors sabotaged the engines, leaving the tanker floating in the sea until friendly navy vessels arrived, forcing the suspected Iranian commandos to flee, the newspaper reported. 

"Armed Iranians stormed the vessel ... and tried to take it back to Iran but the crew scuppered the engines, so that is why it was shown bobbing in the water," the source told The Times.

"Then US and Omani warships turned up and the Iranians got into some boats and went off."

Iran has denied being behind the vessel seizure although security experts believe the men were Iranian commandos or an allied proxy force.

The storming of the Asphalt Princess was the latest in a number of attacks or actions against shipping in the Gulf region in recent months.

A drone strike on an oil tanker, also off the coast of Oman, last Thursday killed a British security guard and the vessel's Romanian captain.

The MV Mercer Street was sailing off the coast of Duqm, Oman when it was struck by a suspected armed Iranian drone.

The attack on the Israeli-linked, UK-managed tanker sparked anger from both countries with calls for retaliation.

#Iran has vehemently denied #Israel's accusations that it was behind a deadly attack on an Israeli-managed tanker off the coast of #Omanhttps://t.co/0lJ05B1Hv3

— The New Arab (@The_NewArab) August 1, 2021

Israel's Defense Minister Benny Gantz on Wednesday accused the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Corps of being behind the drone strike during a briefing with ambassadors.

"Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the IRGC's Air Force, is behind dozens of terror attacks in the region employing UAVs and missiles," Gantz told envoys from the UN Security Council members, according to The Times of Israel.

"For the first time ever, I will also expose the man who is directly responsible for the launch of suicide UAVs - his name is Saeed Ara Jani and he is the head of the IRGC's UAV command."

Iran has strongly denied being behind both attacks and described its armed forces as a "guarantor" of security in the Gulf.

Iran's foreign ministry spokesman, Saeed Khatibzadeh, said on Twitter on Monday: "Reported 'incidents' in the Persian Gulf and broader region appear utterly suspicious. Reaffirming our strong commitment to regional stability & maritime security, Iran stands ready to offer assistance in case of any maritime accidents."

Iran detained the British-flagged tanker the Stena Impero in 2019, holding the vessel and its crew for two months.

It came shortly after UK marines raided and seized the Iranian Adrian Darya-1 tanker, after its crew was accused of breaking EU sanctions on Syria. 

Other attacks on shipping in the Gulf waters have taken place over the past few years.