The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy has seized a foreign oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, the second such incident in less than a week. 

The foreign oil tanker, which has apparently broken the rules, has been captured by the IRGC Navy forces in the Strait of Hormuz waters on Wednesday, Tasnim has learned.

The AP quoted the US Navy’s 5th Fleet as saying that the vessel was a Panama-flagged oil tanker identified as the Niovi.

Last week, the Iranian Navy seized a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in the Sea of Oman and directed it toward Iran's territorial waters after the tanker hit an Iranian vessel and tried to flee in violation of maritime regulations.

The Iranian Navy’s Fateh submarine had detected an American nuclear-powered submarine that was cruising in the Strait of Hormuz stealthily and forced it to surface and change its track in accordance with international regulations, the Navy’s commander said.

An IRGCcommander had said the American submarine had submerged and was approaching the Strait of Hormuz in silence, but the Fateh submarine of the Iranian Navy detected it and performed maneuvers to force the US watercraft to surface and cruise the strait above the sea.

The American submarine was given the necessary warnings as it had closed in on the Iranian territorial waters “to some extent”, the commander added, noting that the USS Florida changed its track and continued to sail under escort.