A tanker seized by Iran in 2022 will be auctioned following an allegation of fuel smuggling.
Reuters cited the Iranian judiciary’s Mizan news agency as saying that a vessel named as the Ariana, and another as the Sagha 2, will be sold.
“Two oil tankers Sagha 2 and Ariana … will be sold in the auction”, Mizan quoted a judiciary official as saying.
The Ariana is believed to be the 17,475-dwt, 2016-built Saint James Shipping product carrier of that name reportedly seized two years ago in the Middle East Gulf.
VesselsValue assesses the Ariana as worth $17.4m.
The Sagha 2 appears to be an Iranian-flagged landing craft, not a tanker.
Iran’s state media said in October 2022 that its forces detained the Panama-flagged Ariana, which was alleged to be carrying 11m litres of smuggled fuel.
The cargo was transferred to the National Iranian Oil Company according to a judicial order, the reports said.
Saint James was not immediately available by phone, but emails have been sent to the address shown on its website, as well as its legal representative, and chief executive Sam Tariverdi.
TradeWinds reported in 2022 that a source close to London and Athens-based owner denied the Ariana has been seized or was in Iranian waters.
Iranian officials had issued multiple photographs and videos showing the ship with its name and International Maritime Organization number.
Last AIS signal two years ago
The head of the provincial judiciary in Iran’s Hormozgan province said seagoing forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had seized the tanker with its crew and cargo, according to an Al Jazeera report that cited Iran’s Tasnim press service.
“The captain and crew of this foreign tanker are also detained as investigations and legal procedures are being completed,” said judge Mojtaba Ghahremani, according to the Al-Jazeera report.
The vessel was not identified in press reports but its name and the corresponding IMO number were visible in video and photographic documentation circulated by Tasnim.
The 11m litres would have been between 10,000 and 11,000 tonnes if the cargo was diesel fuel oil or gasoil.
The last AIS update from the Ariana showed it leaving the Sharjah anchorage in the United Arab Emirates on 22 October 2022.
